Everyone loves bridges. Even if you don't like crossing them, they are nice to look at. In everyone's personal catalog of train pics, you'll find them. Some are majestic, some are marvels, others plain and some make us wonder how they are still standing. Sometimes I find it difficult to keep track of all the dozens of bridges & overpasses the ARRA is covering for repair, replacement, or overhaul. Are we losing any landmarks you will miss? Or have some of these bridges lived well past their prime? Perhaps they are not being covered by the ARRA, but being replaced anyways without much fanfare? IE: remote bridges being rebuilt by private companies?
I'll use one of my favorite examples of a great bridge living well past it's prime.... The Spuyten Duyvil Bridge (http://en.wikipedia....n_Duyvil_Bridge). Although it was great in it's day and still used regularly, it is now clearly an impediment at 111 years old. The pictures you'll find may even do it more justice than it deserves. If NY State lives up to it's 20-year-old promise to replace the bridge, Empire Corridor service will be immediately improved for obvious reasons. I know public-vs-private funding sources for rail has been discussed a lot before. However, I wonder specifically for bridges who is generally better at it the gov't, or private companies? If the technology the same? Do the feds have an edge in terms of quality, or are they handicapped by red tape? 100 years from now, do you think any of the railroad bridges being built & reconstructed today will be standing? Which ones?
edit: grammar
I'll use one of my favorite examples of a great bridge living well past it's prime.... The Spuyten Duyvil Bridge (http://en.wikipedia....n_Duyvil_Bridge). Although it was great in it's day and still used regularly, it is now clearly an impediment at 111 years old. The pictures you'll find may even do it more justice than it deserves. If NY State lives up to it's 20-year-old promise to replace the bridge, Empire Corridor service will be immediately improved for obvious reasons. I know public-vs-private funding sources for rail has been discussed a lot before. However, I wonder specifically for bridges who is generally better at it the gov't, or private companies? If the technology the same? Do the feds have an edge in terms of quality, or are they handicapped by red tape? 100 years from now, do you think any of the railroad bridges being built & reconstructed today will be standing? Which ones?
edit: grammar
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