Hell gate bridge falling apart

[MrEd]

City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) is calling on Amtrak to immediately fix up Astoria’s Hell Gate Bridge after a five-foot piece of debris fell from the structure into a resident’s back yard.

Vallone said he has written numerous letters to Amtrak to ask for structural updates to the bridge, including a new paint job and cameras to prevent vandalism.

In late November, a 5-foot piece of debris that resembled a hose fell from the bridge and landed in the backyard of Barbara DeMaio, who lives near the Hell Gate Bridge.

“I heard a loud noise when it fell,” DeMaio said. “It looks like a rubber hose. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

She said she has often seen nuts, bolts and pieces of wood falling from the track into her yard from the bridge. In the summer, she sets up a gazebo to protect her yard from falling objects.

http://yournabe.com/articles/2009/12/21/qu...grk12162009.txt

 

[Green Maned Lion]

NIMBY?

 

[AlanB]

No, it is well documented that the Hell Gate needs some major work.

 

[Shanghai]

I have heard that the bridge is falling apart for several years. I do agree that the bridge needs to be rehabed.

Just get Congress to sneak the cost to fix the bridge into the Health Care bill, there's a whole bunch of Pork in that bill too

that are bribes for several of the hold out senator's to vote in favor of the bill.

 

[DET63]

I have heard that the bridge is falling apart for several years. I do agree that the bridge needs to be rehabed.Just get Congress to sneak the cost to fix the bridge into the Health Care bill, there's a whole bunch of Pork in that bill too

that are bribes for several of the hold out senator's to vote in favor of the bill.

Too bad the New York Senators have been on board with the bill (and just about every spending bill that comes down the pike) from the start. It makes it kind of hard for them to hold out for anything, since their votes are already solidly in the "Yes" column.

 

[Rumpled]

Not Over My Back Yard!

Looks like Ms. DeMaio lives somewhere around here.

Google Map of Neighborhood in Astoria, Queens

 

[sunchaser]

I have heard that the bridge is falling apart for several years. I do agree that the bridge needs to be rehabed.Just get Congress to sneak the cost to fix the bridge into the Health Care bill, there's a whole bunch of Pork in that bill too

that are bribes for several of the hold out senator's to vote in favor of the bill.

Why not? I doubt if it would be much of a sneak. Besides, as a country we're rolling in dough, as long as they keep printing it.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

No, it is well documented that the Hell Gate needs some major work.

Yeah, I know that. I was just saying, she doesn't want it falling into HER backyard. :lol:

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

This almost sounds like the monster Victorian era Forth Railway Bridge in Scotland that is constantly dropping small parts such as rivets onto the village beneath, but is so over-engineered that it could drop parts for years and still be safe and sturdy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forth_Railway_Bridge

 

[DET63]

The Hell Gate needs some work. How many people have tripped over this thread while investigating their religious beliefs?

 

[Neil_M]

This almost sounds like the monster Victorian era Fourth Railway Bridge in Scotland that is constantly dropping parts onto the village beneath, but is so over-engineered that it could drop parts for years and still be safe and sturdy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forth_Railway_Bridge

Forth, not Fourth! Its a river not a number!

Never heard of any bits falling off that, maybe stuff coming off trains?

Same as the Hell Gate story, hose falling off a bridge?

 

[PRR 60]

Twins separated at birth?

Hell Gate Bridge

Sydney Harbour Bridge

 

[jis]

Twins separated at birth?
Hell Gate Bridge

Sydney Harbour Bridge

You could add the Bayonne Bridge to that list. Incidentally, Bayonne Bridge is longer than the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and its design is basically the same as that of Hell Gate Bridge. The original design had the same stone sheathing for the columns but this was eliminated as a cost cutting measure, and hence the difference in visual appearance. It is a neglected wonder in our own backyard.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Twins separated at birth?
Hell Gate Bridge

Sydney Harbour Bridge

:lol: they have to have the same been done by the same guy... they are both nearly identical, of course from what I understand there are only so many bridge designs that work.

 

[DET63]

Similar bridges in Oregon:

Yaquina Bay Bridge

Fremont Bridge

Don't know of any railroad bridges in Oregon or elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest of this design, however.

 

[zoltan]

NIMBY?

HAHAHA. A+.

 

[Shanghai]

The bridges may be "twins" in design, but the Sydney Harbor Bridge is much larger.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

While it is highly unlikely Amtrak will never find its way to this stunning bridge, it is indeed a classic and played a starring role in The Cassandra Crossing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garabit_viaduct

 

[DET63]

The bridges may be "twins" in design, but the Sydney Harbor Bridge is much larger.

Sydney Harbour Bridge:

Total length 1,149 m (3,770 ft)

Width 49 m (161 ft)

Height 139 m (456 ft)

Clearance below 49 m (161 ft) at mid-span

Hell Gate Bridge:

Total length 17,000 feet (3.2 mi; 5.2 km)

Width 100 feet (30.5 m)

Longest span 1,017 feet (310 m)

Clearance below 135 feet (41.1 m)

I'm not sure, despite the labels, that the figures are comparable. The "longest span" for the Hell Gate may be comparable to the "total length" for the Sydney Harbour.

 

[Sam31452]

While it is highly unlikely Amtrak will never find its way to this stunning bridge, it is indeed a classic and played a starring role in The Cassandra Crossing:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garabit_viaduct

The Garabit Viaduct is falling apart too!

(and has been closed for railway traffic a few months ago)

 

[PRR 60]

The bridges may be "twins" in design, but the Sydney Harbor Bridge is much larger.

Sydney Harbour Bridge:

Total length 1,149 m (3,770 ft)

Width 49 m (161 ft)

Height 139 m (456 ft)

Clearance below 49 m (161 ft) at mid-span

Hell Gate Bridge:

Total length 17,000 feet (3.2 mi; 5.2 km)

Width 100 feet (30.5 m)

Longest span 1,017 feet (310 m)

Clearance below 135 feet (41.1 m)

I'm not sure, despite the labels, that the figures are comparable. The "longest span" for the Hell Gate may be comparable to the "total length" for the Sydney Harbour.

The main span of the Sydney Harbour Bridge (the typical measure of bridge length) is 503 meters (1650 feet): about 50% longer than Hell Gate. The bridge carries eight traffic lanes (six of which are very narrow), two railroad tracks (commuter trains), and a pedestrian walkway with one of the greatest views in the world.

The longest steel arch bridge in the world is New River Gorge in West Virginia. It's main span is 518 meters (1700 feet). Amtrak's Cardinal passes under the New River Gorge bridge, but since the bridge is nearly 900 feet high in a narrow canyon, it is hard to see absent a sightseer lounge.