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I remember reading an article not too long ago that appeared to indicate that the Mt.
Hope Bridge was currently unsafe.
"Due to the age of the bridge and corrosion from the elements, the 700-ton cables that support the majority of Mount Hope Bridge’s weight have been weakened by cumulative corrosion and moisture. "
Apparently Reed & Whitehouse have secured some money for repairs. Are you all still going over this bridge built in 1929? Seems a little scary to me.
Location: Earth, a nice neighborhood in the Milky Way
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hollytree
I remember reading an article not too long ago that appeared to indicate that the Mt.
Hope Bridge was currently unsafe.
"Due to the age of the bridge and corrosion from the elements, the 700-ton cables that support the majority of Mount Hope Bridge’s weight have been weakened by cumulative corrosion and moisture. "
Apparently Reed & Whitehouse have secured some money for repairs. Are you all still going over this bridge built in 1929? Seems a little scary to me.
I went over the Mt. Hope bridge on a recent day trip to Newport and Bristol. I noticed that the paved surface on the deck is pretty rough, as is the deck of the Newport Pell bridge. They look neglected. RITBA was in the midst of ripping out the old toll booths on the Jamestown side of Newport Pell, and I could not help but wonder if they are spending toll revenues to repave both of those bridges so that they are in proper order any time soon. They should.
I remember when the Mount Hope Bridge had a toll. It was 25 cents, then 30 cents, then 35 cents...but you could always buy a roll of tokens (40 for $4.00).
I remember when the Mount Hope Bridge had a toll. It was 25 cents, then 30 cents, then 35 cents...but you could always buy a roll of tokens (40 for $4.00).
The Newport Bridge at that time was $2.00
My uncle told some story about blowing the gate one night, arriving there (probably blasted after a night in Newport) and realizing he had no change. Must not have had good cameras back then.
Back then, there were times when I had to go all the way around through Fall River because I didn't have any money for the bridge. My parents gave me a gas card, so I always had gas.
I remember reading an article not too long ago that appeared to indicate that the Mt.
Hope Bridge was currently unsafe.
"Due to the age of the bridge and corrosion from the elements, the 700-ton cables that support the majority of Mount Hope Bridge’s weight have been weakened by cumulative corrosion and moisture. "
Apparently Reed & Whitehouse have secured some money for repairs. Are you all still going over this bridge built in 1929? Seems a little scary to me.
I've traveled over it several times in recent months. I probably still will. It's not that I'm ultra confident in the state's infrastructure (I'm not), and the Key Bridge is fresh on everyone's minds; but it would take a series of catastrophic failures to bring the Mt. Hope Bridge down. As Ormari pointed out, the road surface condition is awful. Damage to my vehicle from the rough roadway is the much greater concern at present.
I've traveled over it several times in recent months. I probably still will. It's not that I'm ultra confident in the state's infrastructure (I'm not), and the Key Bridge is fresh on everyone's minds; but it would take a series of catastrophic failures to bring the Mt. Hope Bridge down. As Ormari pointed out, the road surface condition is awful. Damage to my vehicle from the rough roadway is the much greater concern at present.
Good for you. Braver than I am- just reading about the corroded cables did it for me!
The problem is, given the recent debacle with Alviti, can we be confident that the bridge is truly currently safe? Kind of shook my faith in the system.
Of course, no one wants to issue an order to close that bridge now. It would be a total disaster for East Bay residents.
Good for you. Braver than I am- just reading about the corroded cables did it for me!
The problem is, given the recent debacle with Alviti, can we be confident that the bridge is truly currently safe? Kind of shook my faith in the system.
Of course, no one wants to issue an order to close that bridge now. It would be a total disaster for East Bay residents.
I wouldn't blame anyone for deciding against it, all things considered. And for what it's worth, I pass over it once or twice a month. Maybe less. It's not as if I'm a daily commuter.
I don't fault you for the bold at all and I'm not confident in the system either. But there's something of a spotlight on bridge safety at the moment between the Key Bridge in Baltimore and the Washington Bridge locally. I would almost expect a knee-jerk reaction the other way if the Mt. Hope Bridge wasn't safe. Meaning, if it's even borderline, they'd shut it down and get it fixed because of the added pressure from similar current issues. The "rip the bandaid" approach. It's what Massachusetts has been doing with the T after all of the safety and performance issues. It's what happens after major catastrophes and incidents elsewhere too.
Now, I'm not convinced that RIDOT has the sense to react that way. But if there was ever a time to do it, it's now when people are very much paying attention to bridge safety. Closing it would be brutal for East Bay residents, but it would probably be better for RIDOT and Alviti to do it now (when their names are already mud) rather than risk an incident and/or have to close it further down the road.
Location: Earth, a nice neighborhood in the Milky Way
3,840 posts, read 2,710,988 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lrfox
Now, I'm not convinced that RIDOT has the sense to react that way. But if there was ever a time to do it, it's now when people are very much paying attention to bridge safety. Closing it would be brutal for East Bay residents, but it would probably be better for RIDOT and Alviti to do it now (when their names are already mud) rather than risk an incident and/or have to close it further down the road.
Any issues with the Mt. Hope bridge are not for RIDOT to solve. The bridge is under the jurisdiction of RITBA.
Any issues with the Mt. Hope bridge are not for RIDOT to solve. The bridge is under the jurisdiction of RITBA.
Thanks- Good to know. RI Turnpike and Bridge Authority. Even though it is no longer a turnpike.
Funny, my main memory of its toll days is when we got some change for our .50 literally thrown at us from a toll taker with a loud and gruff "Welcome to Newport".
We weren't even heading for Newport at the time.
(Guess he did not take the freshman tourism 101 course).
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