BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME
60,000 cars, trucks, SUVs etc. per day, many from Maryland, cross the Anacostia River over the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, which is approaching its last legs. Unlike the overpass that it is now, the new bridge would provide "a grand gateway into the nation's capital across a world-class bridge," said the South Capitol Bridge Study produced by a variety of DC government officials.
Final design and approval, let alone construction is a long ways off though. Phase I of the Environmental Impact Study was just completed. Plus the existing bridge must be shored up first because it will be needed until the new bridge is in place. Work is not expected to begin on the new bridge until 2011. We will be lucky if the stadium is in place by then, let along a bridge that is hardly on the fast track.
WTOP reports on the four concepts that have been developed:
Drawbridge #1 -- Innovative, But Not Too Innovative
Drawbridge #2 -- Dull, Dull, Dull
Retractable Bridge -- So 1890's Looks Like the Eiffle Tower on Its Side
Swing Bridge -- Way Too Innovative for DC
March 9, 2006
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Like #4 the best, then #1. Other two are no good.
DC may actually have something to learn from Dallas here:
http://www.trinityrivercorridor.org/html/
trinity_bridges.html
The latest rumor I've heard about the new ballpark design is that it would be more like the "grand buildings" of the District complete with concrete, granite, and pillars (like the Lincoln Memorial). If this rumor is true, why can't the new bridge look more like the "grand bridges" of the District (like the Arlington Memorial, Ellington, or Taft Bridges)?
In any case, I don't think the design of the new bridge should be decided before the design of the new ballpark is revealed. The two should flow seamlessly into each other, IMHO.
I like the "Eiffel Tower on-it's-side" bridge!
The Council voted on the design of the new ballpark the other day and it was modern ... something like glass and steal with lots of views ... The last bridge (the Swing Bridge) would go well with that ... and it is after all the design being in "avant garde" places like France where they just built one similar to the illustrated one to take a highway through the Massive Centrale.
Post a Comment