IN-PROGRESS: "Iway" 195 Relocation/Wash. Bridge

[eltron]

I'm really liking the slender feel of the arches. I didn't realize how slender the wires between the arches and the bridge deck would be. When the jacks come out it will almost look as if there is this one slender arch bounding across the river (as seen head-on from the side). It looks really slick from Point Street. From other oblique angles the arches will mingle with each other. I think if they were much thicker (or more substantial) that mingling of the arches wouldn't look as good.

Exactly...

They really did use the absolute least amount of material necessary to support the load, which gives us something unique, elegant, AND functional.

I love cable stayed bridges, but the Zakim always strikes me as overkill, considering it spans like 20 feet.

[Cotuit]

I had to take another photo on the way home:

[mr2448]

I had to take another photo on the way home:

Finally, more beauty added to the upper river. Noone could ever give a good reason for the non descrpit original bridge.

Mark

[jencoleslaw]

the many bridged vista reminds me of pdx.

*sigh*

oh portland.

[mental757]

New Bridge Bolted in Place - Projo:

http://www.projo.com/news/content/projo_20...28.31f7d45.html

[BBascule]

Some usually cranky negative person at work said he likes the Zakim better.

I don't think the span is even long enough to warrant a bridge engineered like the Zakim. The new layout of the highway has reduced the size of the bridge needed to cross the river.

[Cotuit]

I don't think the span is even long enough to warrant a bridge engineered like the Zakim. The new layout of the highway has reduced the size of the bridge needed to cross the river.

It really only needs to span the width of the gates in the Hurricane Barrier, and that is pretty much all it does. The western piers where the western end of the bridge sits are in the middle of the river. If it had to span the actual width of the river unobstructed, then we probably would have needed something more engineered like a cable stayed or suspension bridge. But it still probably could have been done with a steel arch, it just would have been a bigger arch.

[BBascule]

It really only needs to span the width of the gates in the Hurricane Barrier, and that is pretty much all it does. The western piers where the western end of the bridge sits are in the middle of the river. If it had to span the actual width of the river unobstructed, then we probably would have needed something more engineered like a cable stayed or suspension bridge. But it still probably could have been done with a steel arch, it just would have been a bigger arch.

True. And using a Zakim-styled bridge would've been a serious case of "over-engineering."

Comparing the Zakim to the I-Way bridge would be like comparing the Red Sox to the Paw Sox, (disregarding how Boston has been playing lately - sorry Sox fans).

The I-Way bridge does what it needs to do and adds an interesting feature to the skyline on that side of the city. It's amazing how the 195 project affects the feeling of the area south of Davol Square. Suddenly there's an impression of activity in an area that was once just a sleepy section of the bay. But I'd be lieing if I said that I didn't miss some of the architectual gems sacrificed for the project. Especially the India Point Garage.

(edited for horrendous spelling))

[mental757]

regarding the sox, I'm glad it's almost Hockey and Football season now...

[TheBostonian]

I don't think the span is even long enough to warrant a bridge engineered like the Zakim. The new layout of the highway has reduced the size of the bridge needed to cross the river.

The Zakim crosses a surprisingly short span of the Charles. It replaced a simple ugly steel thing and there is a very plain and basic bridge directly next to it that shows how there is no need for such an elaborate bridge. But it does look great.

[Recchia]

regarding the sox, I'm glad it's almost Hockey and Football season now...

No kidding right!? I hate baseball. Bring on the Pats and in October the Celtics.

[Cotuit]

The Zakim crosses a surprisingly short span of the Charles. It replaced a simple ugly steel thing and there is a very plain and basic bridge directly next to it that shows how there is no need for such an elaborate bridge. But it does look great.

I think the engineering for the Zakim is justified in some respects, though it may have been able to be a simplier bridge. It crosses a very short span, but it is very wide and heavy, it carries a lot of traffic. There's also the fact that it balances quite delicately amongs things like the dam, the orange line tunnel, the commuter rail tracks, the river itself, and surface routes under it. The Leverett Circle connector is a much narrower bridge, carrying a much lighter load, and is not quite as incumbered by obstacles at ground level.

The New Providence River bridge really faces none of these challenges, everything in it's path is clear.

[Recchia]

So is the relocated highway going to meet existing 195 just west of the Radisson, or is the Radisson coming down? Right now it looks as though it would run right through it, though I don't remember any plans to take it down or anything.

[Cotuit]

So is the relocated highway going to meet existing 195 just west of the Radisson, or is the Radisson coming down? Right now it looks as though it would run right through it, though I don't remember any plans to take it down or anything.

No, right at the curve at Exit 2 (South Main). The Radisson isn't going anywhere.

[brick]

No, right at the curve at Exit 2 (South Main). The Radisson isn't going anywhere.

It will become even more strangely cut-off, though, unless they are going to take down the Gano St. Exit.

Weird place for a hotel. I've always wondered why they put it there. Was there some kind of promise at the time that there would be more development? Do they get a lot of patronage out of the Brown boathouse?

[BBascule]

The Zakim crosses a surprisingly short span of the Charles. It replaced a simple ugly steel thing and there is a very plain and basic bridge directly next to it that shows how there is no need for such an elaborate bridge. But it does look great.

It fits the site perfectly- and is more inspired than what is essentially just an elevated highway over the Charles (boston.com):

The same could be said in Providence for the current 195 Providence River bridge. It's actually significanly longer than the new IWay bridge, but you wouldn't even know it was a bridge, unless you get a glimpse of the scenery off the sides.

[eltron]

I think the engineering for the Zakim is justified in some respects, though it may have been able to be a simplier bridge. It crosses a very short span, but it is very wide and heavy, it carries a lot of traffic. There's also the fact that it balances quite delicately amongs things like the dam, the orange line tunnel, the commuter rail tracks, the river itself, and surface routes under it. The Leverett Circle connector is a much narrower bridge, carrying a much lighter load, and is not quite as incumbered by obstacles at ground level.

The New Providence River bridge really faces none of these challenges, everything in it's path is clear.

Good theory, but The Bostonian is correct, the Zakim is over-engineered for aesthetic affect only.

The original river crossing was supposed to be a continuation of the tunnel, but making all the connections to route 1 would have been too expensive. Then a simple bridge, like the adjacent connector bridge, was proposed, but it was felt a "signature" bridge was needed to ease opposition to the craziness that "Scheme Z" was going to bring to that area...which led to the design of the Zakim. Alot of tradeoffs went into the Big Dig - this was one of them.

I like it, it works. But from a purely functional standpoint, it easily coulda just been a steel box-girder design.

[Cotuit]

You can see in that image that due to the geography of the river in that area, the Zakim actually crosses a much wider gap than the old upper and lower decks did. The Leverett Circle connector actually pushes engineering to the extreme too, that's pretty much the longest span that type of bridge can cross, if it were any longer it would have had to have been a different design.

[brick]

I find it kind of odd that on the same site where we have people clamoring for Calatrava designed buildings there would be any opposition to the fact that they spent some extra money for aesthetics. IMO bridges are some of the best opportunities for architechture as art (as the many Calatrava bridges might attest) because their function is relatively simple and they are oftentimes in prominent areas.

My big problem used to be that unless you were in specific areas of Charlestown or Cambridge, the aesthetics were wasted because the Fleet Center and Tobin screw up the view of the bridge. However, now that the elevated highway is down, the bridge looks great from the greenway and North End.

[eltron]

I find it kind of odd that on the same site where we have people clamoring for Calatrava designed buildings there would be any opposition to the fact that they spent some extra money for aesthetics. IMO bridges are some of the best opportunities for architechture as art (as the many Calatrava bridges might attest) because their function is relatively simple and they are oftentimes in prominent areas.

My big problem used to be that unless you were in specific areas of Charlestown or Cambridge, the aesthetics were wasted because the Fleet Center and Tobin screw up the view of the bridge. However, now that the elevated highway is down, the bridge looks great from the greenway and North End.

Don't get me wrong...there is a HUGE premium warranted for aesthetics, and the Zakim warranted it, particularly as part of the political dealing that was necessary to get the project done...

BUT

from a purely engineering standpoint, it just wasn't necessary. The river is only what, 15, 20 feet deep there? Piers COULD have been built to support a shorter span, most likely cheaper. I like the outcome, but it will never be in the same class as the great bridges (Firth of Forth in Scotland, Golden Gate (obviously) Brooklyn...) - those are remarkably beautiful AND tested the bounds of physics...The Zakim doesn't really do that...

Its also why I like the solution they came up with for the Iway bridge...its not overkill, but they did some nicely innovative engineering to get such a slender structure - its pure tension and compression, with just enough structure to get the job done...

[brick]

from a purely engineering standpoint, it just wasn't necessary. The river is only what, 15, 20 feet deep there? Piers COULD have been built to support a shorter span, most likely cheaper. I like the outcome, but it will never be in the same class as the great bridges (Firth of Forth in Scotland, Golden Gate (obviously) Brooklyn...) - those are remarkably beautiful AND tested the bounds of physics...The Zakim doesn't really do that...

The irony being that the civil engineering limits that they did push get almost no publicity and can't even really be seen...

I like the IWay bridge just fine, though, as I hope I indicated in my initial post.

[Lone Ranger]

I find it kind of odd that on the same site where we have people clamoring for Calatrava designed buildings there would be any opposition to the fact that they spent some extra money for aesthetics. IMO bridges are some of the best opportunities for architechture as art (as the many Calatrava bridges might attest) because their function is relatively simple and they are oftentimes in prominent areas

Well now, different strokes for different folks. I would kill for a Calatrava (no really), but eltron's opinion might be somewhat different. Anyway, FWIW, I absolutely agree about bridges as art, and Calatrava is a freaking god. Miraculous light touch, that man has.

[Cotuit]

Now for some tangible progress on the Washington Bridge.

Traffic heading east on 195 will cross new bridge. Beginning tonight, traffic will be diverted off the old eastbound Washington Bridge as demolition continues on that span. [ProJo.com]

[Frankie811]

Now for some tangible progress on the Washington Bridge.

Traffic heading east on 195 will cross new bridge. Beginning tonight, traffic will be diverted off the old eastbound Washington Bridge as demolition continues on that span. [ProJo.com]

Yeah, I knew it would be soon because they've been paving the new section for over a week now. But now my exit is closed for the next 3 weeks. The cost of progress. But no word on the Gano St on ramp to 195E, so I'm assuming that will come later when the new Providence River Bridge opens in a few years.

[brick]

But no word on the Gano St on ramp to 195E, so I'm assuming that will come later when the new Providence River Bridge opens in a few years.

Wasn't there talk that the Gano St. on-ramp might not come back at all?