Walnut Creek Bridge

I don't think Norman really has a park big enough for a span this large, it would have to be a park on the outer edge of town or something because none of the inner-city parks are big enough. Heck i'd love to see it on the University Campus. Right now there's a small suspension pedestrian bridge near the Duck Pond, but there's more than enough width there to place the bridge over the north side of the pond area. Problem is the rehab costs of getting the bridge demolished, moved and then the deck fixed would probably be way more than the University wants to spend on something that really isn't needed.

Considering the history of this bridge and where it came from, at the very least it should be moved to a park somewhere...perhaps in Norman?

Not to mention it looks like it has been closed for about 20 years or more...

Took a few shots of the bridge today. Local hooligans have burnt a rather large hole in the bridge and the Deck is definitely in bad condition. Overall structure looks OK though. Sad they're not considering fixing this old beauty up. I wish I had some land so I could take it off their hands :(

Whoa, Nellie!

Nathan, you are attempting to use common sense, logic, in Oklahoma, something the DOT hasn't learned about because the bonds for it haven't been approved.

Yes it would be cheaper/more responsible use of funds to actually do minor repairs to these structures when the repaired structure would be adequate. But ODOT has chosen instead to let everything rot so they can continue screaming shriller and shriller about needing more money.

Even basic preventive maintenance that would save millions of dollars from having to do wholesale replacement of bridges is shrugged off because they wouldn't then be able to justify the fit they throw and the drama they produce for more money.

And when I say drama, believe me. They are milking the "Oklahoma has the nation's most unsafe bridges" story for all its worth. And the reality is, most of these aren't even trusses, but they seem to get hit hardest.

Mr. Holth's comment made me wonder how much it would cost to replace all politicians. I guess a lot, as long as corporations are allowed to contribute uncapped amounts to campaign funds. But really, spread the same money over many bridges and how many could be retained and how many employed and the work spread over a larger area. Just my thinking. It is political so pull it if you like. Replace it with one word. Maintenance.

Define "Stupid Waste of Tax Dollars."

This bridge has an NBI superstructure rating of Fair and substructure rating of Satisfactory. The only reason it is closed is because of its Critical wooden deck rating. The bridge has an ADT of 100, 1/4 of the maximum ADT for a Low Volume Roadway designation. Regardless, the bridge is to be demolished and replaced with a two lane bridge. So once a month when the stars line up and two cars meet each other on the bridge they won't have to wait five seconds for one of the cars to cross. The project is described as a "...well over a million dollar project" I find myself wondering how much it would cost to replace the existing timber deck and make minor repairs to the truss. Would the cost even reach $500,000?

This is actually a span from the 1913 Norman Toll Bridge, built by the Kansas City Bridge Co. and opened in 1918. See figures 8 and 9 from Spans of Time http://192.149.244.11/hqdiv/p-r-div/spansoftime/newera.htm This bridge is figure 9 in Spans.

This bridge is currently closed.