Revised timeline for new tappan zee bridge

[mc78andrew]

Can't get the link to work from news 12, but the new timeline is dec 2016 for westbound traffic and February 2017 for eastbound traffic, with the old bridge being ripped down by april2018.

Seems like and aggressive timeline, but a welcomed relief.

[ARMOURERERIC]

Have any contracts been awarded as of yet?

[cpzilliacus]

Can't get the link to work from news 12, but the new timeline is dec 2016 for westbound traffic and February 2017 for eastbound traffic, with the old bridge being ripped down by april2018.

Seems like and aggressive timeline, but a welcomed relief.

Found this, with Certified Bloviator Donald Trump asserting that the existing bridge needs a "facelift," not a total replacement.

Here is the story that you were speaking of above.

[mc78andrew]

Can't get the link to work from news 12, but the new timeline is dec 2016 for westbound traffic and February 2017 for eastbound traffic, with the old bridge being ripped down by april2018.

Seems like and aggressive timeline, but a welcomed relief.

Found this, with Certified Bloviator Donald Trump asserting that the existing bridge needs a "facelift," not a total replacement.

Here is the story that you were speaking of above.

Trump probably hasn't ever driven on his own in suburban traffic. 

[jeffandnicole]

Did Trump ever go into detail about what his idea of a facelift entails?

[NE2]

Did Trump ever go into detail about what his idea of a facelift entails?

Covering it with a dead animal.

[SidS1045]

Certified Bloviator Donald Trump asserting that the existing bridge needs a "facelift," not a total replacement.

And his degree in civil engineering is from...where again?  (Hint, Donald:  the Close Cover Before Striking University doesn't count.)

[dgolub]

Can't get the link to work from news 12, but the new timeline is dec 2016 for westbound traffic and February 2017 for eastbound traffic, with the old bridge being ripped down by april2018.

Seems like and aggressive timeline, but a welcomed relief.

I'll believe it when I see it.  The reconstruction of the Roslyn Viaduct, a section of Northern Boulevard (NY 25A), was supposed to only take a year.  They started it in 2006, and they're still not finished.  (OK, the new bridge itself is finished and they're now doing the approaches, but still.)

[cpzilliacus]

Certified Bloviator Donald Trump asserting that the existing bridge needs a "facelift," not a total replacement.

And his degree in civil engineering is from...where again?  (Hint, Donald:  the Close Cover Before Striking University doesn't count.)

MIT, of course - Mailorder Institute of Technology.

[cpzilliacus]

Have any contracts been awarded as of yet?

Sorry, was so busy talking about The Donald's hot air.

To answer your question, yes, I was across the Tappan Zee back in September, and work was well under way.

Project Web site:  http://www.newnybridge.com/

[mc78andrew]

Can't get the link to work from news 12, but the new timeline is dec 2016 for westbound traffic and February 2017 for eastbound traffic, with the old bridge being ripped down by april2018.

Seems like and aggressive timeline, but a welcomed relief.

I'll believe it when I see it.  The reconstruction of the Roslyn Viaduct, a section of Northern Boulevard (NY 25A), was supposed to only take a year.  They started it in 2006, and they're still not finished.  (OK, the new bridge itself is finished and they're now doing the approaches, but still.)

Who is building that one?  I'm operating off some vague memory here, but the public private partnership for the new tappan zee bridge has substantial financial disincentives to miss deadlines.  I am sure thee are examples of public private partnerships not working, but I think you have a better shot of finishing on time when someone has something real to lose as opposed to the thruway being left on their own. 

As for trump, I have still yet to hear a better plan other than " we cannot afford it". I suppose when there is a commuter revolt he say, "let them eat cake".

[dgolub]

I'll believe it when I see it.  The reconstruction of the Roslyn Viaduct, a section of Northern Boulevard (NY 25A), was supposed to only take a year.  They started it in 2006, and they're still not finished.  (OK, the new bridge itself is finished and they're now doing the approaches, but still.)

Who is building that one?  I'm operating off some vague memory here, but the public private partnership for the new tappan zee bridge has substantial financial disincentives to miss deadlines.  I am sure thee are examples of public private partnerships not working, but I think you have a better shot of finishing on time when someone has something real to lose as opposed to the thruway being left on their own. 

Not sure.  My understanding is that it's officially two separate projects, one for the bridge itself and one for the approaches.  There was a gap of about a year between them.

[Jardine]

Aesthetically, the current bridge is quite handsome. Love the sweeping curves, symmetry, and the setting.


Hope the new one looks as sharp.  (saw the artwork, but I really need to see it completed to form an opinion)

[dgolub]

Aesthetically, the current bridge is quite handsome. Love the sweeping curves, symmetry, and the setting.


Hope the new one looks as sharp.  (saw the artwork, but I really need to see it completed to form an opinion)

I'm not convinced that it will.  Personally, I think that these more modern-style bridges (like the Zakim Bridge in Boston) are tacky and prefer the more traditional style.  That said, it seems like the New York area is going to be getting a few of them, since both the new Tappan Zee Bridge and the new Q Bridge in New Haven will be of that style.  I believe that the new Kosciuszko Bridge will as well.

[vdeane]

I agree.  Cable-stayed is not my thing.

[Jardine]

To me, the two tower cable stayed are nicer looking than the single tower (at each end) variety, and that bizarro thing in Oakland CA, OMG!

And the longer cable stayed ones look better than the short ones.

I do like Caltravas with the single inclined tower, btw, but it's more art than bridge.

[mc78andrew]

Anything with a modern look sticks out in the northeast.  The backdrop is old, the infrastructure is old, it's all old. 

This is a rare beautiful spot on the Hudson River. It's nice and wide and not within site of any major structures, so maybe the more modern look will mesh better. 

[SteveG1988]

The one advantage of the cable stay, less steel to rust compared to a cantiliver or traditional suspension span

[froggie]

Function over form, people.  And the existing Tappan Zee is rapidly losing function.

[roadman]

The one advantage of the cable stay, less steel to rust compared to a cantiliver or traditional suspension span

Until somebody discovers the inevitable fatal flaw with segmental concrete bridge design.  Now, I'm not a structural engineer, but my bet is that said flaw will be when - several years from now (hopefully) - random 3 foot segments of these bridges will start having deck failures that, unlike a more traditional concrete deck on a steel underframe, cannot be easily repaired without requiring major reconstruction of the entire span.

[jeffandnicole]

The one advantage of the cable stay, less steel to rust compared to a cantiliver or traditional suspension span

Until somebody discovers the inevitable fatal flaw with segmental concrete bridge design.  Now, I'm not a structural engineer, but my bet is that said flaw will be when - several years from now (hopefully) - random 3 foot segments of these bridges will start having deck failures that, unlike a more traditional concrete deck on a steel underframe, cannot be easily repaired without requiring major reconstruction of the entire span.

Just like how people who don't want a cell phone antenna near their home/school will say that cell phone towers cause brain damage, and that 25 year's worth of data proving that the claim is worthless still isn't enough time to know the true effect?

[SidS1045]

Just like how people who don't want a cell phone antenna near their home/school will say that cell phone towers cause brain damage, and that 25 year's worth of data proving that the claim is worthless still isn't enough time to know the true effect?

...and, of course, most of those people have cell phones and hold them right up to their ears, thus (by their own logic) causing damage to their own brains.  Yet they're the first ones to bitch and moan when there's little or no usable signal at their homes.  Ask them how they think cell phones work, and you'll hear nothing but crickets.

Been there, done that...don't want the T-shirt.

[cpzilliacus]

The one advantage of the cable stay, less steel to rust compared to a cantiliver or traditional suspension span

Until somebody discovers the inevitable fatal flaw with segmental concrete bridge design.  Now, I'm not a structural engineer, but my bet is that said flaw will be when - several years from now (hopefully) - random 3 foot segments of these bridges will start having deck failures that, unlike a more traditional concrete deck on a steel underframe, cannot be easily repaired without requiring major reconstruction of the entire span.

I am not a structural engineer either, but I do know that there are plenty of cable-stayed bridges that have pretty conventional-looking steel under the bridge deck.

Why do you think there is a flaw in the design of segmental bridges? 

The Pennsylvania Turnpike has two of them now, and the "signature" structure on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Linn Cove Viaduct) is such a structure (which dates back to the 1980's).  As is the new South Norfolk Jordan Bridge.

[hbelkins]

Over on one of the NYC-area forums on Facebook, someone's yelling about design changes and calling for Cuomo's impeachment over the changes. What's up with that?

[froggie]

Over on one of the NYC-area forums on Facebook, someone's yelling about design changes and calling for Cuomo's impeachment over the changes. What's up with that?

Given who the individual in question is, I wouldn't take it very seriously...