Roger Deschner

So, now that this incident is down to lawsuits and NTSB investigations, what next? There is clearly a need for a bridge at this location. FIU students are being killed crossing busy US 41.

I assume they will not simply try again to build this failed design. That would be a travesty, and a dishonor to the 6 who lost their lives here.

I do like Nathan Holth's idea of moving and rehabilitating the remains of the historic Drew Bridge. It might actually fit into this space with its big center pier, which could be located between the road and the canal. Or there may be another historic bridge available for reuse, such as Indiana's 9-span Bridge. Such an historic bridge could be an interesting classroom for FIU engineering students.

Or simply build a more conventional steel through truss bridge. The requirements of the site dictate a through truss, those being clearance requirements above the road, along with a desire to minimize how many stairs pedestrians would have to climb. This part of the original design was correct - it was to have been a through truss to meet these basic requirements. However, successful concrete truss bridges are rare, perhaps for a reason.

If no available historic bridge can be found, build a new steel through truss, but build it deliberately to be a classroom, with ready connectors and power outlets for stress monitors and other instrumentation, so the engineering students could learn how to use these tools on a real bridge. Make the deck to be inside the truss webs, so that the bottom chord is easily visible. (Example: rehabbed Chatham Street Bridge in Blue Island IL.) If they would like to make it a bit fancier than a simple Warren truss, it could be a Baltimore, Pennsylvania, or Lattice truss with their interesting geometry. Those are designs intended to carry heavy trains, which could minimize sway from people walking across. A conventional steel truss bridge would be easy and safe to build using "accelerated bridge construction" techniques. Such a replacement bridge could be both a memorial to the 6 fatalities, and a classroom for the future bridge builders at FIU.

A bridge is clearly needed here. The lawsuits and NTSB investigations are "water under the bridge". It's time to start thinking about the new bridge.

Nice review in today's New York Times of a graphic novel/comic book entitled “The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York.” which is about to be published. I look forward to buying a copy.

Here's the book review in NYT: "Building the Brooklyn Bridge, in Graphic Detail" https://nyti.ms/2H1pCLp

This historic bridge, a Miami-Dade landmark, could become redundant after the completion of the FIU-Sweetwater University City Bridge, on the other side of 109th Avenue from this bridge. However the collapse of that new bridge during construction will prolong the need for this bridge, likely for quite a while.

I am at a bit of a loss to categorize this bridge type from the artist's rendering of the completed bridge. (Regardless of its collapse.) I think it may be primarily a truss bridge, with the cable stays there only for reinforcement in case of a Category 5 hurricane, which it had been designed to withstand. If so, what kind of truss is it? I guessed "Warren with all verticals" but I could be wrong on that. It's kind of half of a Pratt. Each panel is different.

Nice letter to the editor in today's Chicago Tribune from a local resident who's sorry to see it go. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/ct-libert...

Photos of the bridge in the print edition of the paper.

Possibly doomed, as being a chokepoint on a badly overburdened stretch of I-80. The website below outlines preliminary plans to widen the road, which almost certainly will involve replacing this bridge. Also, it has suffered a bit from 50 years of pounding by an endless stream of big trucks.

http://i-80will.com/overview.html

Department of the Interior announces contract to repair bridge. This will replace the Strauss bascule span with a similar-looking fixed steel span. It hasn't been opened for a boat since 1961.

https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/under-budget-ahead-schedul...

I asked a docent at the Archway Monument about the history of the bridge, like perhaps where it was originally. The answer was surprisingly vague. "It was found in a scrap yard in one of those 'I' states back east, I don't know if it was Indiana or Iowa. [Could also be Illinois or Idaho...] Perhaps Iowa - don't they have a lot of bridges in Madison County? It was brought here in 2005."

I'm glad they saved it from scrapping, but this is unsatisfying. We know this nice old bridge was built somewhere by Canton Bridge Company in 1914, but we don't know where. Considering it was found in a scrap yard in some 'I' state, we may never know where. At least it is now preserved. I really wish they'd stop incorrectly calling it a suspension bridge.

So, what's my deal with all these bridges in Winona MN? I've passed through three times in the past year, and each time I find another fascinating current or historical bridge. This bridge is one of the most interesting, with a complicated history and good written and photographic records. I'm sure there's yet more to find when I make it back to this picturesque old river town. Which I plan to do when the rehab of the 1942 highway bridge is complete in 2018.

Was this bridge rehabilitated, or was it completely remanufactured in 1997? The NPS ranger at the US 19 bridge overlook called it a "replica" bridge. I just visited this bridge, and I was amazed that nearly all rivets had been replaced with bolts - giving its built-up latticework a very bumpy appearance. Some parts are definitely original, such as the main upper and lower chords. However some members, such as eyebars, look very smooth and new. But I have to wonder, how much of it is actually original, other than the design?

BTW after 20 years, the 1997 wooden deck is definitely deteriorating.

If visiting, stop first at the NPS US 19 bridge overlook to pick up a free CD guided tour of Fayette Station Road.

Closed for repairs until October 31, 2017. Traffic rerouted to 95th Street Bridge on a poorly-marked detour.

I do not see any consistency here for handling pairs of one-way bridges or tunnels. Usually they are handled as one, but in some cases they are handled separately, such as the Eisenhower and Johnson tunnels on I-70 in Colorado or the Winona MN bridges over the Mississippi. I'm looking for guidance here.

When I am driving down a highway, and I see a sign "LOAD ZONED BRIDGE AHEAD" on a side road, that's an invitation to explore. Though I was hoping for a nice, picturesque, old truss, what I found on Krchnak Road near Smithville TX was unusual enough to be notable. You just don't see too many recycled flatcar bridges, and this one was made from two flatcars welded together lengthwise to form a wide enough roadway. The two guys fishing said they didn't know of any others like it in the area.

Article about city approval of new replacement bridge, which is now under construction. https://www.waukonstandard.com/articles/2016/08/03/lansing-c...

I just found that Google put their street view camera on a boat on the Chicago River. It captured some great views of a number of interesting bridges, with even good views of the undersides of bridges, including this bridge. It went up the North Branch on both sides of Goose Island to North Avenue, down the South Branch to Damen Avenue, and out the Main Branch through the Chicago Locks and all around in Lake Michigan past Navy Pier.

This will be fun to explore!