Richmond Region Transportation

[eandslee]

Thanks, ODU. It's great, long anticipated news and I've posted the Times Dispatch story on the RIC airport thread.

Yeah, this is great news, unfortuanately, it will be ANOTHER toll road.

[Cadeho]

Can someone tell me how many road bridges along the i-95 and i-64 need repair? I have now seen them emergency welding 3 bridges in the downtown area in the last two weeks. Im a lil concerned.

And to think we were talking about bridges and now one comes down in Mn. It's hard to avoid bridges these days as I said. I cross about 11 on my way to work. Well at least the tragedy has V-Dot looking at bridges again. But I'd think since they'd just replaced the deck on I-95's James River Bridge, it should be fine. I do wonder about the Nickel Bridge. It's been some 21 years since I last crossed it and I know that is one old bridge and similar to the one in Mn.

[Cadeho]

I know people are afraid to cross the Huguenot Bridge. I forget how long until they say it'll be replaced, but I thought I heard it is one of the bridges with a low rating in the area. I'm surprised that the Varina-Enon Bridge was considered "structurally deficient", if I heard right. It's not that old... about 16.

[wrldcoupe4]

I think they start on a new Huguenot Bridge in 2010

[Cadeho]

Can we wait that long?

[wrldcoupe4]

haha I hope so!

[Cadeho]

I went across Lombardy Street's bridge yeasterday to remind myself what it looked like. Really? That bridge is that bad off? Then a bridge I take to and from work everyday is supposedly 80 something years old? It doesn't look like it was built that long ago, plus there are two separate bridges, one for 3 lanes going "east" and the other three going "west". Forget time tables, get this stuff done now, no matter how much it costs.

[rnvb]

Speaking of driving underneath, what's the story with the "jacks" that were just installed under the 64/95 overpass of Boulevard?

[Cadeho]

I've never noticed that... I know they're still working on the one for Belvidere.

And I take it back, Mechanicsville Tnpk's bridge over the Chickahominy is one bridge and it could not be 80 something years old. It wasn't a 6-lane highway then.

[journiyin]

Speaking of driving underneath, what's the story with the "jacks" that were just installed under the 64/95 overpass of Boulevard?

That would be my original concern that sparked this line of thought. They are jacking the bridge back up, then welding plates onto the beams to reinforce the structural integrity... hence my concern

[jbjust]

Isn't that where the gas truck wrecked last month and roasted the overpass?

[Cadeho]

Yes under Belvidere, which had been undergoing construction previously to that.

This link doesn't make me feel any better... maybe because I have trouble reading it, but it looks like all our bridges may come down by this thing! And this is just Richmond City!

That would be my original concern that sparked this line of thought. They are jacking the bridge back up, then welding plates onto the beams to reinforce the structural integrity... hence my concern

Hey I remember when they had to boost the westbound I-64 bridge over Shockoe Valley because it had dropped a little some years ago. Maybe that's the same thing going on for the jacks... either way... I'm gonna start crossing small bridges! Imagine what the Marshall St Viaduct would have gotten if it was still around?

[journiyin]

Yes under Belvidere, which had been undergoing construction previously to that.

This link doesn't make me feel any better... maybe because I have trouble reading it, but it looks like all our bridges may come down by this thing! And this is just Richmond City!

Hey I remember when they had to boost the westbound I-64 bridge over Shockoe Valley because it had dropped a little some years ago. Maybe that's the same thing going on for the jacks... either way... I'm gonna start crossing small bridges! Imagine what the Marshall St Viaduct would have gotten if it was still around?

I dont know which is worse now, driving over them... or being under them...

[Cadeho]

I choose under.

[journiyin]

I choose under.

You are a bold man.

[Cadeho]

I choose being under as worse.

[journiyin]

I choose being under as worse.

le' oops

[burt]

Greyhound buses carry almost half as many passengers annually as are handled at RIC. The terminal on North Boulevard got swamped yesterday. Read this story from today's inRich:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/cva/ric/news....08-11-0091.html

[burt]

It seems there is a story at least twice a week about lane closures on area Interstates:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/cva/ric/news....08-11-0172.html

Edited August 11, 2007 by burt

[journiyin]

It seems there is a story at least twice a week about lane closures on area Interstates:

http://www.timesdispatch.com/cva/ric/news....08-11-0172.html

That is about the average for a really bad wreck on 95 and 64... so that sounds about right....

[gntrphoo]

I was helping some of the international students move into UVA the other weekend, and guess how one of them arrived in Charlottesville? By boat via Richmond! That's right, I met a guy who took a boat from Liverpool to Richmond's intermediate terminal. He was one of nine passengers on a freight ship. Apparently it was more expensive than flying, but he did it "for the experience." I don't expect that passenger travel is or ever will be a big business for the intermediate terminal, but I think it's pretty cool just the same.

[wrldcoupe4]

You know, I think a year or two ago the paper had an article about people who have done that. Must be pretty interesting!

[burt]

You know, I think a year or two ago the paper had an article about people who have done that. Must be pretty interesting!

I mentioned it in these pages some time ago, but don't recall a newspaper story. A few decades ago, booking passage on freighters to and from Richmond was not uncommon. I'm surprised and pleased to learn it is still possible in these security-conscious times. Obviously, customs officials responsible for clearing containers of goods at Deep Water Terminal can also check documents of crews as well as, in this instance, the nine passengers from Liverpool.

I bet the young Englishman's means of transit from his homeland was reason for a few dropped jaws at UVA!

[journiyin]

I mentioned it in these pages some time ago, but don't recall a newspaper story. A few decades ago, booking passage on freighters to and from Richmond was not uncommon. I'm surprised and pleased to learn it is still possible in these security-conscious times. Obviously, customs officials responsible for clearing containers of goods at Deep Water Terminal can also check documents of crews as well as, in this instance, the nine passengers from Liverpool.

I bet the young Englishman's means of transit from his homeland was reason for a few dropped jaws at UVA!

He would have already dropped jaw's with the accent... now he has a story of an 'adventure' to get here... Well, I guess he will be having a lot of luck with the lady's this year

[D_C]

Why traffic circles are not always a good idea:

As I was observing the steady flow of cars/trucks flying down Overbrook Rd. at speeds in excess of 40mph on Saturday, I had the opportunity to see that the 2 little traffic circles the city installed are totally useless! They were installed to slow traffic down and ease the flow of traffic. Well, guess what Mr. or Ms. city traffic planner? It does neither. Vehicles are travelling on Overbrook Rd. over 20mph above the posted speed limit, and no one in the area seems to have an understanding of what these circles are for or how to negotiate them. (Please see link below)

how NOT to negotiate a traffic circle

It is my opinion that the curb radii need to be enlarged at all 4 corners, and the circle enlarged with bigger landscaping which would cost a small fortune, or the city needs to remove the circles and install 4-way stops. I know these transportation engineering types will pull statistics out of their underdrawers to dispute the 4-way stop intersections, but take it from someone who drives the fan and west of the boulevard daily; the 4-way stop intersections are a Great Idea!! Statistics are crap! Anyone can put together a bunch of numbers to say whatever the heck they want them to say. The 4-way stops work well and it is a heck of a lot cheaper than anything else out there. Then there are those that will argue; "But you waste more gas stopping at every intersection." Bull crap!! You waste more gas sitting at an intersection like Sam Sausagehead waiting to get across, or waiting for a light to change. And of course you have the ones arguing about the whole concept of it taking longer to get through an area. Well DUH! That's the whole point. In a residential area, the time it takes to get through should be a moot point. If you are worried about time, then get your arse on an interstate and pay a toll!