[Daveography]

Oct. 13 - from Enbridge Centre, 18th floor

 

[archited]

Per Gene Dub's vision, I wish the City would retain the existing bridge as a public pedestrian space -- perhaps a couple of restaurants.

 

[Daveography]

@archited I get the sentiment, but personally I want to see it gone and let the new bridge shine alone as a showcase. I really don't feel it's particularly special or interesting, but rather quite utilitarian.

 

[archited]

@Daveography it is "utilitarian" but it could be so much more -- a glass enclosure with creative lighting filtering through the metal grid roadway deck -- I think, properly done, it could give the new bridge a run for its money from a design perspective. Better yet, they could become a complementary duo.

 

[Daveography]

@archited I get it, I do. I just don't agree and don't think I'll be swayed out of my opinion on it.

I do appreciate a lot of the creative ideas that people have come up with for it, though. We really have come a long way in how we think about built heritage, creativity, and adaptive reuse.

 

[Das Ponto]

It just looks cluttered now, the new bridge will shine nice on its own. Plus isn't the old walterdale at the end of its life cycle anyways? Re-purposing would likely require a lot of rework...

 

[Daveography]

@Das Ponto Indeed, it was one of the main drivers for building a new bridge.

 

[archited]

"a lot of money" -- so would demolition and removal. I am not suggesting rebuilding as a vehicular span, but it would surely make a great pedestrian way with a number of mixed use applications. I am with Gene Dub on this one. It has historical value, IMHO. Check out https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheWalterdaleBridge/

 

[Daveography]

Nov. 24 - Really got to get down and get some closer shots again.

 

[Das Ponto]

"Elise Stolte: Thanks again for this question. It was a good one. They will be leaving some of the plates higher up on and painting it white. Apparently this was a bit topic of debate during the design - whether they would force the contractor to weld all the joints on site, 40 metres in the air, or let them use some bolted connections. I'll get into this more in the piece."

Terrible decision.

 

[Daveography]

Building new Walterdale Bridge like assembling puzzle made with 125-tonne pieces
Constructing the new Walterdale Bridge is like tuning a harp, or building a bicycle wheel. Sort of.

On this bridge — what the city calls its most complex infrastructure project to date — it’s easier to use analogies. The physics involved might make engineering students shudder.

Think of it: steel cables thicker than your fist stretched by several inches as crews poured the concrete deck. Steel arches bent into a target shape as the cables were tightened one by one, like tightening spokes to shape a bike wheel.

Korean steel fabricators — widely criticized for delivering a year behind schedule — didn’t just deliver 125-tonne puzzle pieces, they delivered 42 pieces deliberately misshapen so the forces within the bridge could form it into the right geometry.

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/loc...-assembling-puzzle-made-with-125-tonne-pieces

 

[Das Ponto]

Sigh... Such a disappointing decision.

Only the lower segments are being welded together to avoid forcing workers to weld 40 metres in the air.

“At the end of the day, it all gets painted. It’s all going to be white,” said Teplitsky. But “if you look hard, you will still see them.”

 

[Daveography]

@Das Ponto It is, but I don't think most people will really notice them; particularly those who aren't directly being made aware of them.

 

[Das Ponto]

I have my doubts... even when painted. I think its a half assed effort for what was supposed to be an iconic bridge for the city. And their excuse to not have welders go up yet painters will? Terrible reasoning.

Maybe the majority of the population will just drive blindly through... but I feel like the plates are going to be yet another downfall of our City's decision making.

 

[Daveography]

Jan. 16 Update