Bond Bridge (formerly Paseo)

[DaveKCMO]

nice work!

[Joe Smith]

nice work!

Thanks.

I find that it's fairly easy to get decent pics out of certain point and shoot cameras. Also a tripod helps quite a bit when you are taking long exposure shots.

If you want to see all the pics I have of the new bridge in a slideshow format go here ----> http://www.flickr.com/photos/philmo/set ... 1129/show/

[moderne]

  There are now 4 cables attached to the north side of the pylon, still just 2 to the south.  How is this going to continue?  Will they attach all of the cables to the north side to the already constructed steel deck or do they have to balance it out by extending the road deck to the south over the river channel and ataching cables to balance the load on the north?

[Joe Smith]

I've been told that the bridge is still scheduled to open July 2011, but that they expect some traffic on the bridge as early December 2010.

[Joe Smith]

[missingkc]

The shapes of the new and old bridges complement each other so well in these photos it makes me wish the old could stay.

[GRID]

The shapes of the new and old bridges complement each other so well in these photos it makes me wish the old could stay.

Why can't it?  Would it really cost any more to maintain the bridge as a pedestrian/transit bridge then it would to remove it?

[bbqboy]

Why can't it?  Would it really cost any more to maintain the bridge as a pedestrian/transit bridge then it would to remove it?

With gardens along it like those elevated tracks in NYC.

[mean]

I would vastly prefer to keep the Paseo bridge as a dedicated pedestrian and/or bike / transit river crossing. How can we request such a thing?

[dangerboy]

The Corps of Engineers has already decreed that the old bridge cannot remain.  Even if they changed their minds, the bridge needs several million dollars of rebuilding in order to remain standing.  That money would be better spent on a new, dedicated bike/ped bridge.

[Joe Smith]

I've got your new ped/bike bridge design right here.

The Infinity Bridge is a public pedestrian and cycle footbridge  across the River Tees in the borough of Stockton-on-Tees in the north east of England.



Slideshow - http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauldownin ... 1814/show/

[moderne]

This is really looking impressive now and shows great from a distance even.  Original or unique it may not be, but it is without a doubt the most impressive river crossing on the United State's longest river.  There are only a couple of more segments to go in before the river is spanned.  Is there some sort of traditional ceremony for this stage of bridge completion?

[Pork Chop]

I would vastly prefer to keep the Paseo bridge as a dedicated pedestrian and/or bike / transit river crossing. How can we request such a thing?

The Heart of America Bridge (Route 9) will have a dedicated ped/bike lane:

http://www.modot.mo.gov/kansascity/majo ... merica.htm

It's underconstruction now.

[KC Kropf]

Random Question.. Why the heck does the Heart of American Bridge deserve a name?  It just seams like a normal bridge that happens to go over the river.. not all bridges have names?  I mean 'The Heart of America' sounds glorious and it is in fact rather dull and pretty much a let down based on it's name.  'HWY 9 Bridge' would be more fitting...  Someone please correct me if I am missing some history here, or significant reason for the name.. truly curious..

[shinatoo]

Americas Heart truly is a pier and slab overpass with an afterthought bike lane.

[moderne]

And they were considering calling it the Count Basie Bridge.

[Joe Smith]

Took these Sunday afternoon.

[moderne]

I was walking down there Sunday afternoon also!  It seems odd to me that the Paseo bridge sits on massive blocks of piers that rise well above the high water line and deflect all the debris and tree trunks, while the new bond bridge piers are under the water line and the seemingly in comparison delicate legs of the bridge are going to be endlessly battered by debris and ice.

[Joe Smith]

I was walking down there Sunday afternoon also!  It seems odd to me that the Paseo bridge sits on massive blocks of piers that rise well above the high water line and deflect all the debris and tree trunks, while the new bond bridge piers are under the water line and the seemingly in comparison delicate legs of the bridge are going to be endlessly battered by debris and ice.

I think that the differences in the foundations is probably due to the advancements in bridge design over the years. You don't need to build huge cofferdams to build the huge piers because today you can drill down farther and easier to bedrock and build a bunch of little piers that will do the same thing.

It also helps that the river isn't too wide at this point. They can put the main pier in the river and the other one on solid ground on the south side, while utilizing small supports on the north side.

You can see the bridge and it's supporting structures in these 2 pics.

 



In Tampa they added these huge bumpers that they call "Dolphins", around the Sunshine Skyway Bridge's supporting superstructure. They surround the piers and sit up high out of the water and they're just in case a ship gets too close to the bridge. They're rated to stop a ship that weighs up to 87,000 tons.

You can see the Dolphins here in this pic.

[Joe Smith]

I also found another nice pic of the Infinity footbridge.