12 replies to this topic

[eastsider]

With the need to replace outdated bridges the city of Dallas came up with the idea of creating signature bridges to span the Trinity River which became a part of the Trinity River Corridor Project. In 2002, world famous designer Santiago Calatrava was awarded a contract to design three signature bridges.

Groundbreaking will be held on Friday Dec. 9th for the first of the bridges to be built, the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. This bridge will have a 400' arch supporting the cables with a span of the signature portion reaching 1,280' in length and a total span of 1,870'. The bridge will carry six lanes of traffic linking West Dallas and North Oak Cliff with downtown Dallas. It is estimated to cost $93 million to build and could be completed in 2008.



The other roadways that have been proposed for signature bridges are I-30 and I-35E.
More images and info can be found at: http://www.trinityri...ty_bridges.html

News:
Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Work to start soon on new Dallas bridge

Dallas Morning News: A Bridge Is Born

[eastsider]

Article about the groundbreaking for the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge held last Friday.

Dallas Morning News: Cold can't stop warm reception for new bridge

[Mith242]

I know it won't be finished in a long time but I'm hoping someone will be able to post som pics of it.  Santiago Calatrava is one of my favorite architects.  It's nice that he'll have something in this area of the country.

[Aporkalypse]

These bridges are really going to spruce up the riverfront area and add a lot to the skyline views from several directions.  

[eastsider]

The construction bids came in for the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge and the lowest bid came in at $113M just about double the $57M estimate. Since it unlikely that private contributions will be able do make up the difference, the bridge will have to be scaled down or completely redesigned.

Dallas Morning News: Trinity bridge bids far exceed budget

[eastsider]

Article about the cost overruns for the bridge. Calatrava is said to be working on bringing the bridge design to within the cities budget.

Quote

The bridges, however, have been the city's priority, with the mayor promising the first two would be under construction by next year.

The second, a 12-lane bridge carrying Interstate 30, has been designed with private money. About $65 million in federal funds has been earmarked for its construction. Its cost had been estimated at $145 million, but that figure was calculated before the first bridge was bid. The third bridge, the most elaborate and carrying Interstate 35E, has been neither funded nor designed.

Houston Chronicle: Dallas bridges may be too grand

[eastsider]

Developers are buying large portions of old industrial land in west Dallas because of the views they will have of the Calatrava bridges and access to the planned Trinity River Park. With some doubting the bridges being build because of the rising costs, the developers are argueing that the economic impact of redeveloping the old industrial sites will be more than the costs of the bridges many times over.

The first bridge is currently being redesigned. The earliest that construction could begin is early next year.

Dallas Morning News: Bridges leave building gap

[eastsider]

Officials with the City of Dallas feel that a second round of bidding will bring in construction estimates much closer to the $65M budget for the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge without major design alterations.

Quote

The Texas Department of Transportation will re-open the bidding process next week. The low offer will be unveiled three weeks later on Oct. 5.

Dallas Morning News: Second round of Calatrava bids likely lower, officials say

[AlabamaGuy2007]

Wow, that's definitely one of the most interesting bridges I've ever seen.  I like the style though, it's nice when these new modern structures are built in cities.

[eastsider]

A new construction bid may mean work could begin on the first Trinity Signature Bridge in January. Williams Bros. Construction of Houston submitted a bid of $69M which is only $4M over the cities' budget.

Quote

The 40-story bridge will include some minor, cost-saving design alterations, including using foreign steel and building the bridge's arch – its central helix – out of a cylindrical steel frame instead of a seven-sided frame.

Other changes include using multiple smaller beams to support the bridge instead of a few larger ones and replacing a steel drainage pipe with PVC pipe.

Dallas Morning News: Trinity bridge gets off ground

[Aporkalypse]

Good, I was worried about massive cost overruns.

[dallasbrink]

man, this thing is never going to be built at this rate.

[Jim856796]

Do the new bridges carrying Interstate Highways 30 and 35 require demolition of the existing bridges?