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McDermott bridge is junk.

3,834 Views | 26 Replies | Last: 6 yr ago by YouBet
double aught
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Interesting story. Another example of the incompetent and grossly inefficient way the city of Dallas is run.

http://www.dallasobserver.com/news/dallas-skipped-stress-test-for-mcdermott-bridge-not-its-cracking-10312451
DannyDuberstein
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These bridges were the most wasteful and moronic idea I've ever seen to begin with, so no surprise that the actual execution is full of dumbassery and fail as well.
Robert C. Christian
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Quote:

One of the value engineering cost savings opportunities suggested was the elimination of the cable fatigue testing and the utilization of previous test data for the proposed cable hanger system.

The city agreed to the cost savings opportunity and as a result the overall price for the bridge was reduced by $30,000 for this costs savings opportunity.

.....

Additional tests of the adjustment rods finally were completed last year in Germany. They failed.
So the city bypassed on the $30k stress test to save money on a $115M bridge. Really describes Dallas, focus on the aesthetics but skimp on the actual necessity.
DannyDuberstein
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I've always wondered what visitors think of the moronic bridges. You see this fancy-ass bridge from a distance and think there must be some cool river/waterway there, but then if you actually get to it and go over it, you see that it's basically built over a bunch of dry scrub.
double aught
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It's all the more ridiculous when you consider that city officials are constantly going on about how there's no money. Ridiculous, but not surprising.
bagger05
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DannyDuberstein said:

I've always wondered what visitors think of the moronic bridges. You see this fancy-ass bridge from a distance and think there must be some cool river/waterway there, but then if you actually get to it and go over it, you see that it's basically built over a bunch of dry scrub.

If that area was ever turned into the park that was proposed then I think it would be beautiful.

Of course, I have little faith in the city of Dallas to ever bring that vision to life.

Right now it does have a bit of this feel to it:

DannyDuberstein
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If their initial approach held, instead of having people fall off the escalator to nowhere, it would be a bunch of minorities drowning in a fake white-water.
Dallasag02
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DannyDuberstein said:

I've always wondered what visitors think of the moronic bridges. You see this fancy-ass bridge from a distance and think there must be some cool river/waterway there, but then if you actually get to it and go over it, you see that it's basically built over a bunch of dry scrub.


Not to mention its a pedestrian bridge, sandwiched around a regular highway bridge so there are a thousand concrete columns under the "suspension bridge."
ChoppinDs40
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Dry scrub is the trinity. 3 years ago it was full of water to the levee. Flood plain.
DannyDuberstein
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Ummm. I know what it is. Building a majestic bridge over it still looks stupid. And as dallasag mentioned, one is essentially a tacked on veneer.
ChoppinDs40
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DannyDuberstein said:

Ummm. I know what it is. Building a majestic bridge over it still looks stupid. And as dallasag mentioned, one is essentially a tacked on veneer.


Totally agree. Just pointing out that the area will never look nice unless they plan some huge watershed project.
DannyDuberstein
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I'll bet the 6 homeless pedestrians that would use the McDermott bridge are really annoyed.
aggielostinETX
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I find hilarious that the SJW ilk that wanted to fix South and West Dallas now are complaining about the solutions their predecessors put in place to fix South and West Dallas.
double aught
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DannyDuberstein said:

Ummm. I know what it is. Building a majestic bridge over it still looks stupid. And as dallasag mentioned, one is essentially a tacked on veneer.
If I remember correctly, I think the other one is a fake suspension bridge too.
wbt5845
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but there was plenty of money to remove the REL statue.
Log
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While we are at it, who was the genius that decided to put non-functional white arches on top of the Convention Center?

"Dallas - we have nothing to be known for except socialites, some sports team, and a big stick with a ball on top, so we built a bunch of things with white arches to make us stand out."
Dallasag02
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Pretty sure those arches support the huge clear spans inside the convention center.
hatchback
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Log said:

While we are at it, who was the genius that decided to put non-functional white arches on top of the Convention Center?

"Dallas - we have nothing to be known for except socialites, some sports team, and a big stick with a ball on top, so we built a bunch of things with white arches to make us stand out."


Those are structural supports for the required vast, open space needed for a convention center. They're not simply decoration. Wow...
double aught
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Oops.
aggielostinETX
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Y'all sarcasm meter is broken... Log is an Eng
YouBet
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Maybe a chicken or egg argument but the first bridge - Hunt Bridge - arguably led to all of the significant development in West Dallas.

This second bridge seems like a complete disaster though.
culdeus
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Are we sure that the development wouldn't have happened if the bridge didn't have some arch on it?

I'm still just lol at the whitewater park they dropped 4 Mil on and will pay 2 Mil to demo it out, because, oops.
DannyDuberstein
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I think it would have happened anyway. The renewal near downtown was happening anyway and was looking for a spot to pop next.

I don't have an issue with a serious bridge makeover that looks very nice. But I think it could have been done a lot more sensibly - budgetwise, functionwise, and lookswise. And the growth would not have been any worse off for it.
MonkeyKnifeFighter
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bthotugigem05
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I can at least see the logic in the MHH bridge since it revitalized the Trinity Groves area, but the McDermott Bridge is 100% head-scratchy.
oldschool87
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The city of Dallas was bankrupted by Ron Kirk!

It absolutely boggles my mind me why the media won't say this!!

Specifically the AA deal. Perot and co. Took Dallas to the cleaners as they footed the bill for the new arena! In return they got Butkus!

No concessions, no parking, no nothing!!! The next year we had no money for police, fire or teachers!!! And not a word was said...

Dallas loss of revenue stream from its arena, plus the outlay of cash has dug them a deep deep hole.

Add the bridge to nowhere, the bus scandal and whatever john Wiley price has been stealing for the last 30 years and you have got some issues!!!
culdeus
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Cities signed bad deals constantly during that timeframe. They never comprehended the leverage they had, and many still don't.

I don't really get where the parking revenue would come from, a tax? That wasn't city owned land they were selling or leasing.

Where would this better deal come from? Fair Park? Or just demo and start over on the reunion site?
YouBet
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Fair Park is forever tied up with the precious State Fair. The most wasted space in Dallas.

Been attempts to claw it back recently but I think they've failed.
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