UPDATES

The S.C. Transportation Commission agreed Thursday to a $531 million contract for construction of a new Cooper River bridge, possibly the final vote needed before Monday's groundbreaking ceremony in Mount Pleasant.
For full article from The State click here.  For BridgePros project page click here.

Wilson Bridge Construction About to Begin in Earnest click on link for story or for BridgePros Project Page Click here.

The Ben Franklin Bridge Turns 75 this weekend.  Join in the celebration of this wonderful structure. Click on logo for more information. Click here for BridgePros Project Page.

Cooper River Bridge To Start Construction

After 20 years of wrangling over how to pay for it, groundbreaking is set for the most expensive bridge project in S.C. history (--) a $631 million span linking Charleston and Mount Pleasant over the Cooper River.

The diamond towers of the eight-lane, cable-stayed bridge will rise almost 500 feet above the Charleston skyline, about twice as tall as the existing, aging, gray cantilever bridges linking the two fast-growing communities.

For full article from The State click on title.  For BridgePros project page click here.

PRODUCT AND MATERIALS CENTER

BridgePros has just opened the Product and Materials Center. This center will feature products and materials used in the bridge industry. Check it out!  Email us with suggestions and comments.

One great new product for steel bridges on the market is Squirters. What are Squirters? Click here and find out. You can also hear what the Florida Department of Transportation had to say about this innovative product.

U.S. GRANT BRIDGE TO BE REPLACED

The current bridge will be tore down this summer in its place, the state plans to build a $28.4 million steel-based, cable-stayed bridge by June 30, 2004. This project is going to take place in Portsmouth, Ohio (The bridge crosses the Ohio River).

With a bid amount of $28,434,495.93, the C.J. Mahan Construction Company of Grove City, Ohio will build the bridge.  The new bridge will be a two-lane bridge with wide shoulders, and its center span will be 825 feet. Construction of the bridge is tentatively scheduled to begin in early summer, 2001, and it is expected to take up to three years to complete. For a article from The Columbus Dispatch  click on title.

THIRD CROSSING INNOVATIVE APPROACH

An unsolicited proposal by a group of high-powered road builders could jump-start construction of the Third Crossing in Hampton Roads, Virginia by two years and save hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars for the region.
Although VDOT estimates cost at $4.4 billion if the project is completed in 2014, this proposal states that using "private-sector funding now saves hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars later." For full article from St. Daily Press Times  click on title.

SUNSHINE SKYWAY BRIDGE PROBLEMS

Inside one of the columns supporting the Sunshine Skyway bridge, engineers have found three broken strands in a steel cable, the second such discovery in recent months.  The Skyway is safe in spite of the damage, state transportation officials stressed. But they said the deterioration shows they must spend more time investigating why portions of certain cables, called tendons, have corroded and broken.  For full article from St. Petersburg Times click on title. For project page click here.

WOODROW WILSON BRIDGE UPDATE

Maryland and Virginia will share ownership and upkeep of the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge in an agreement that should guide the region's largest public works project to completion on schedule, both states' governors said yesterday. For full article from Washington Times click on title. For project page click here.

BRIDGE STUDY CANCELLED

A two million dollar study on whether a new bridge crossing the Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia north of Washington DC was warranted, has been abruptly cancelled.  For many articles on this highly political decision click on title to go to our more news section of BridgePros. 

NEW US-CANADA BRIDGE???

A private group proposed to build a new, $600-million bridge across the Detroit River about three miles south of the Ambassador Bridge, arguing it is needed to ease international traffic congestion.
If completed, such a bridge would add a third crossing to the existing Detroit-Windsor tunnel and the Ambassador Bridge. Backers said the three-mile, four-lane bridge would provide a better connection for trucks between Interstate 75 in Detroit and Highway 401 in Windsor.
For full article from the Detroit News click on title. 

COOPER RIVER BRIDGE UPDATE

Describing them as handsome, attractive and beautiful, state transportation officials on Thursday released renderings of a new Cooper River bridge.
Three design and construction teams are competing to win the bridge contract. Two submitted designs for a dual bridge with double-diamond towers and a single bridge with single towers. The third firm submitted designs for a dual bridge only, accounting for the five renderings.    
For full article from Charleston.net click on title. For Renderings click on renderings. For BridgePros project page click here.

BRIDGEPROS UPDATE

Check out the More News Section for an update on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project and articles on the Bridges that co-founders Shane Rixom and Robert Bennett are working on.   The bridgepros newsletter and Bridge Forum should be active again within the next week or two.  With the recent downturn in internet advertising money we were forced to go with new providers.  We apologize for this inconvenience but are striving to get those services back online soon!  Also please consider sponsoring pages on BridgePros or put an employment ad online (let your HR department know about us,  we have been very successful in the past getting companies good leads on employees). We currently have over 10,000 unique visitors and 50,000 page views a month (independent audit). Contact us today!

New Tacoma Narrows Proposal

A Canadian energy company has an idea for addressing two contentious regional issues: the Northwest energy crunch and congestion on the Tacoma Narrows bridge.  Blue Energy Canada of Vancouver, B.C., proposes to build a second bridge beneath the 50-year-old span and put turbines underneath that would harness tidal forces to generate electricity.  Martin Burger, company president and chief executive, says Washington state would wind up with a second Narrows bridge - at no cost to taxpayers and without tolls - in exchange for power-generating rights.   For full article from THE Seattle Times click on title. For Project page click here.

WOODROW WILSON BRIDGE UPDATE

    Maryland and Virginia are closer to receiving the $1.3 billion in federal funds they need to replace the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, as the financing agreement between the states awaits Virginia Gov. James S. Gilmore III´s approval, officials in both states say.  Mr. Gilmore´s tough line against union-only labor deals in building the bridge paid off when the Bush administration banned such project labor agreements (PLAs).   For full article from THE WASHINGTON TIMES click on title. For Project page click here.

COOPER RIVER BRIDGE UPDATE

Top state officials cleared the way Friday for construction to begin on a new, eight-lane Cooper River bridge, ending months of debate and rancor over how to finance it.
     "We will keep it alive. We will end up with a resolution that will ultimately get it built," said Howard "Champ" Covington, chairman of the State Infrastructure Bank.
     He said a resolution passed Friday by the State Ports Authority to help fund the bridge is sufficient to commit to a $215 million federal loan critical to getting the bridge built.
     The loan is vital to cover a shortfall in funding for an eight-lane bridge. The state has raised $421.6 million for the bridge, which could cost as much as $650 million.
  For full article from Charleston.net click on title.

Steel Tendon Fails on Sunshine Skyway

As modern bridges go, the 14-year-old Sunshine Skyway is barely a teenager, but it's already showing distressing signs of old age.  One of the 536 vertical steel tendons that hold together the bridge's 76 hollow pillars has failed from corrosion, and inspectors have discovered potentially harmful rust on several others.  For full article from Tampa Tribune click on title. For more info on this project go to our project page.

International Bridge Conference

The International Bridge Conference brings together leading representatives of the bridge industry, including owners, researchers, practicing engineers, educators, suppliers and contractors. The IBC encourages and promotes the interchange of information, procedures and techniques related to bridge design, inspection and construction through its technical program and exhibits.  The conference is  June 4-6 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For more information click on title.  Discount is available until May 4.

Straight of Messina Bridge Update

The government has given the OK to building a bridge linking Sicily to the Italian peninsula but only if the private sector pays for at least half of the 10 trillion lire ($4.5 billion) or more cost. In January, a government commissioned study estimated that it would take 11 years to build the 3,690-meter (12,000 foot) long suspension-type bridge. Once complete this bridge would be the longest suspension bridge in the world. For full article from CNN.com click on title. For more info on this project go to our project page.

Charles River Bridge Update

The cable-stayed bridge is already becoming a Boston landmark, even before commuters have driven across it.  The 3-foot-high cap was set on the peak of the northern bridge tower. Two towers, each in the shape of an inverted Y, support the wide expanse of traffic lanes with a series of steel cables wrapped in white polyethylene tubes. ''That's the high point of the project,'' said J. Richard Capka, who last month became chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority. The deck of the Charles River span, formally the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge, will be complete after a final 10-foot center section is installed next week. For full article from Boston.com click on title. For more info on this project go to our project page.

Cooper River Bridge Update

Charleston County Council members voted Thursday to guarantee local tax money for a new Cooper River bridge, the final piece of the financial puzzle that has eluded local leaders for more than a decade. The 6-3 vote, which will likely be affirmed at a formal council meeting Tuesday, could mean construction of a new bridge would begin as early as this summer. For more information click on title.

New Canadian Bridge Design Standards

The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is pleased to introduce the latest edition of the CAN/CSA-S6-00 Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code. Developed in cooperation with provincial regulators from across Canada, the code provides comprehensive, updated requirements for highway bridges, coast to coast. It combines and replaces two previous publications: OHBDC-91-01, Ontario Highway Bridge Design Code, 3rd Edition, and CAN/CSA-S6-88, Design of Highway Bridge Structures. For full article from Canada News Wire click on title.  

HOOVER DAM BYPASS

Tom Greco, director of the Hoover Dam bypass project, said at first glance, the comparison of the Sugarloaf Mountain alternative, estimated to cost about $200 million, to the Laughlin/Bullhead City route, which was expected to cost between $25-$35 million, appeared to be a no-brainer.   The bypass would consist of nearly 3.5 miles of new, four-lane highway and a 1,900-foot, arch bridge, soaring about 250 feet above the top of the dam, crossing the Colorado River about 1,800 feet below the structure, he said. The bridge and highway would be built with a design speed of 60 mph, he added. On the other hand, the Laughlin/Bullhead City alternative would have primarily utilized existing roadways and require only the construction of an additional bridge over the Colorado between Laughlin and Bullhead City, thus the smaller initial cost. However, the initial cost of constructing the Sugarloaf route pales in comparison to the long-term cost of routing traffic through the Laughlin/Bullhead City area, Greco explained. For full article from Mohave daily News click on title.  We will be adding a project page soon for this upcoming exciting project.

PRESIDENT BUSH PROMISES HELP ON THE HOAN BRIDGE

President George W. Bush offered a soft promise to local motorists Friday, suggesting that federal money may be on the way to help repair the damaged Hoan Bridge in Milwaukee Wisconsin. "I'm here to tell the good people of Milwaukee that rebuilding the Hoan Bridge is a priority of my administration," Bush said. The Hoan Bridge (A steel girder bridge) buckled last December affecting about 35,000 people a day.  For full article from Journal Sentinel click on title. For a great page all about the Hoan Bridge Collapse click here.

MANILA FIGHTS POVERTY BY BUILDING 402 BRIDGES

 PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo opens today 30 of the 402 steel bridges that are being built under the “Tulay ng Pangulo sa Barangay” Project – President Bridge Program (PBP) in a simple ceremony coinciding with her 54th birthday at Malacañang Palace. For full article from manilatimes.net click on title.  For BridgePros project page click here.

COOPER RIVER BRIDGE UPDATE

A majority of Charleston County Council members appear to support local funding for a new Cooper River bridge, which could lead to construction beginning this summer.  Council members didn't vote Tuesday, but some said they support a half-cent sales tax increase to pay for the bridge and other local road and bridge projects.    They are under the gun: State transportation officials have given them until April 30 to guarantee $3 million each year for 25 years or risk losing a $215 million federal loan critical to financing the project.......State officials have said that unless local funding is secured, the state is prepared to build a four-lane bridge, keeping the three-lane Silas N. Pearman open until funding is found for a second four-lane bridge. For full article from Charleston.net click on title.  For BridgePros project page click here.

MORE BRIDGE NEWS

Click on the title for the More Bridge News Section.  Stories there include whether or not to twin the Goethals Bridge to Staten Island ($550 Million), plus more. Also check out our employment section.  HDR is looking for a Bridge Section Manager and Project Engineer.

BIG I Update

Dignitaries carried by a parade of vintage cars enjoyed the first fruit of the $293 million Big I project on Sunday — the opening of the south-to-east flyover in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Click on title for full article from ABQ Journal.com.  

Ohio River Bridges Project Update

Three meetings were held to examine the visual impacts of possible designs for new Ohio River bridges and related highways in Louisville and Southern Indiana.  Click on title for more information. 

WOODROW WILSON BRIDGE UPDATE

The Maryland Department of Transportation's State Highway Administration (SHA) identified Tidewater Construction Corporation/Kiewit Construction Company/The Clarke Construction Group, Inc. Joint Venture of Virginia Beach, VA as the apparent winner of the foundations contract for the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge. Fulfilling a variety of contract requirements, their bid of $125,396,511 million was the apparent low bid among five proposals submitted by leading construction firms from across the nation.

"This is another major step forward in the cooperative effort between Maryland, Virginia, and the Federal Highway Administration to relieve the worst bottleneck on the East Coast" said Parker F. Williams, SHA Administrator. "The best of the bridge building world competed for this much-anticipated contract, which guarantees the region's citizens will receive top value from the contractor." "We are very pleased to win the work," said E.W. McLaughlin, President of Tidewater Construction Corporation. "We are also very excited to start work on the project that will soundly support future generations of bridge travelers." Foundation construction is anticipated to start in May 2001 and continue until summer 2003. Foundations, consisting of piles that are driven to support concrete footings and pedestals, will be built for a total of 17 piers (eleven in the river and six in Jones Point Park in Virginia). Built to just above ground or water levels, the foundations will provide the platforms upon which the remainder of the bridge will be built.

The remainder of the bridge will be constructed in the third and largest phase of work, which is estimated to begin in early 2002. This will involve completing the dredging and building the remainder of the foundations, v-shaped pier supports, steel girders, concrete deck, roadway barriers and drawbridge operating machinery. Removal of the existing bridge will also occur during this phase. Subsequent contracts will follow with the ultimate goal of opening the first new bridge by the end of 2004 and the second new bridge in early 2007. For more info and all five bids click on title for BridgePros Project Page.

Fight looming over Hoover Dam bypass bridge

Federal officials have decided to replace the narrow, tourist-jammed highway over Hoover Dam with a $198 million four-lane bridge nearby, but environmentalists said they will challenge the decision in court. On Wednesday, federal officials signed papers formally choosing the so-called Sugarloaf Mountain route for the bridge and a 3.2-mile bypass highway. Click on title for full article from Mohavedailynews.  Check back often for updates on the project!  For even More Bridge News click here.

Second Nanjing Yangtze Bridge to Open to Traffic

The completed Second Nanjing Yangtze Bridge, a key construction project in China's Ninth Five-year Plan period, has been verified of good quality and approved on March 18 to be opened to traffic by the end of this month.
Started in October 1997, the construction of the bridge has been wound up seven months ahead of schedule with a static investment totaling RMB 3.35 billion yuan. The second Nanjing Yangtze Bridge, 12.517 km in length, is located 11 km to the east of the Nanjing Yangtze Bridge in the lower reaches.  The bridge on the south (Nancha), the crucial part of the second Nanjing Yangtze Bridge, is 2,938 meters long with a main span extending 628 meters. It is a steel box girder stayed-cable bridge, ranking first in China, and third in the world. Click on title for full article from People's Daily Online.  

COOPER RIVER BRIDGE TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION JULY 4th

The groundbreaking date comes even though state officials are unsure of how the bridge will be funded. Gov. Jim Hodges has proposed a $215 million loan from the federal government to help fund the bridge. But Charleston officials have not agreed to pay the $3 million needed in the governor's plan.  For BridgePros project page click here.

Another bridge over Mekongh

A second Thailand-Laos friendship bridge is to be built across the Mekong river to promote regional trade and boost transport.  The 3. 2-billion-baht construction of the bridge in Mukdahan opposite Kanthaburi in Laos, will begin next year and is expected to be completed in 2005. The cost will be borne equally by Thailand and Laos, and the construction financed by a loan from the Japan Bank for International Co-operation (Jica). This job should go out to bid in the near future. 

COOPER RIVER BRIDGE UPDATE 

The state will build half a bridge over the Cooper River unless the local community commits $3 million in funding for 25 years, Charleston County officials said Thursday.
     That money could be raised by tolls on the bridge, Charleston County Council members suggested.
     The state is prepared to break ground on a new bridge on July 4. But it will be for a four-lane bridge, replacing only the obsolete two-lane Grace bridge and not an eight-lane bridge the community wants, County Administrator Roland Windham said after a meeting Wednesday with state officials.  Click on title for full article from Charleston.net.  For BridgePros project page click here.

BRIDGE COLLAPSE IN PORTUGAL 

About 70 people are feared dead after a bridge over the River Douro in northern Portugal collapsed, taking a coach and two cars with it.

The 200 metre long bridge is believed to have collapsed after one of its support pillars gave way following prolonged heavy rain, sending parts of the structure crashing into the swollen river 50 metres (150 feet) below. Click on title for full article from the BBC.

COOPER RIVER BRIDGE UPDATE 

 Click on title for full article from Charleston.net.  For BridgePros project page click here.

Tacoma Narrows Update 

The state Senate has voted to push ahead with the Narrows Bridge project, opting for a plan that might cost more than an alternative House plan but has a locked-in price and would allow construction to start sooner.  Senate Bill 5130, sponsored by Sen. Bob Oke, R-Port Orchard, passed in a bipartisan 38-10 vote Wednesday.   SB 5130 would repeal a 1961 law that said no new tolls should be placed on the bridge, allow the state to use tolls to pay for bridge repairs over 40 years and let a private advisory board decide how high the tolls should be. Click on title for full article from Seattle P-I.com.  Also for the latest news article on 

COOPER RIVER BRIDGE UPDATE 

 Click on title for full article from Charleston.net.  For BridgePros project page click here.

New bridges give Oslo Norway a face-lift

Some of Norway's premier architects have designed new footbridges to make Oslo a more attractive city. One of the structures will cross Økernveien and Ensjøveien on the city's eastside, while the other bridge will span the ring road near Gaustad.
"Click on title for full article.

COOPER RIVER BRIDGE UPDATE

Charleston city officials want a say in what a new Cooper River bridge will look like. State transportation officials want to control costs and get a bridge built.
The two sides ran headlong into each other Friday, leaving no clear consensus in their wake.  To begin in earnest a community discussion over what the bridge will look like, Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. formed a design committee of local architects and city officials.  They want to give the new bridge, as Riley put it: "The Charleston treatment."  State transportation engineers balked, saying the department is proceeding with a bridge design that it believes to be the least costly and is preferred by the public. Click on title for full article from Charleston.net.  For BridgePros project page click here.

Tacoma Narrows Update 

State funding for the second Narrows Bridge could be part of the major transportation tax proposal the Legislature puts on the fall ballot - if, in fact, lawmakers can agree to put any taxes to a public vote.  
House co-Speaker Frank Chopp (D-Seattle) said Tuesday there are several things the state could do to help build the bridge. While tolls still would pay for the bulk of the estimated $800 million project, additional state funding could lessen the impact or duration of tolls, he said. Click on title for full article at the News.  BridgePros is following this project.