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Calvatra Bridges


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  • 2 weeks later...

I think Dallas' vision of an "Austin style town lake" will never come to pass. I heard that for many years in the early part of this century Dallas tried to use the Trinity as a navigable waterway to make Dallas a port city.

Obviously, that did not work. And they say Buffalo Bayou is an eyesore.

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  • 5 months later...

Bridges to be named for two Margarets

Gifts by Hunt Hill, McDermott to Trinity project to be honored

10:50 PM CST on Friday, February 25, 2005

By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News

The first sky-scraping bridge to span the Trinity River over Woodall Rodgers Freeway will be named for Margaret Hunt Hill, the matriarch of the H.L. Hunt family whose Hunt Petroleum Corp. made a $12 million donation to the landmark parks project Friday.

The second bridge, which is waiting for federal dollars and will replace the Interstate 30 bridge, will bear the name of Margaret McDermott

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1.) To say the bridges go nowhere is wrong. I-30 = Major freeway and Interstate from Oak Cliff to downtown. I-35 = Major freeway and Interstate from Oak Cliff to downtown. Arguably THE major roadway in the middle US. There are 3 bridges now that serve the purpose of the Woodall Bridge, so people obviously live there.

2.) The bridges will be built whether they are fancy or regular TxDOT fair. If the Margarets want to pay xtra $$$ to make them pretty, then God Bless them.

3.) The spans will all be over 1200 ft long. That's not much shorter than many suspension spans.

4.) Suspension is necessary to create a barrier minimum park. Especially a recreation park with huge trails.

5.) Zoning has already been changed on the Oak Cliff bank, and developments are already underway. Zoning will also be changed on the downtown bank. There are huge land owning corporations that already have mixed-use villages in mind to replace what is currently there.

6.) Downstream, flood control is being corrected as we speak. Its the first project phase.

So to look at it from another angle:

1.) Bridges will be built whether fancy or not. If rich people want them, so be it.

2.) South Dallas has been divided from the north by race, history, and the Trinity River. This is a grand way to connect to it as well as changing zoning. Nice projects are being created.

3.)Its a big real estate coup that never happened at White Rock because of NIMBYs. No different than the Woodall Rodgers deck park.

To call this just a park is a slap in the face of the history of the city. It has been needed for decades and is finally happening. From the outside it just looks like a drainage ditch. From inside the web of the city, its an eyesore that represents a lot of deep division. The bridges are symbolic of it. If rich old ladies want to throw around tens of millions to doll up its connections then so be it.

BTW, I've not seen this on this post, but here is the I-30 bridge.

IH30Bridge02.jpg

Whether people like it or not, for Dallas itself, this is a huge deal. Most that don't want it don't want the money spent. Sorry, but the citizens of Dallas voted for the part the city will spend.

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I think the bridges will be nice. I think the total Trinity River Project will be a nice improvement. I sort of doubt the Trinity River Project will be anything close to the hype you hear from Laura Miller. My guess is that it will be a large green space that will attract people inititally and then become just another park that most people will not feel safe attending. Hopefully it will be more than that. I doubt it though.

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That depends if people will live near it or not and how good access is to it. If it comes anything to White Rock Lake usership, its a total success. Consider the TRP will have two White Rock like lakes in it, white water course, amphitheater and baseball, softball and soccer tournament complexes and hike and bike connected to the current system. Its not like its just gonna be a pretty green space. It will actually have uses that city residents need and use. The park will be very useable. Don't know why it would be any less used that say Samuell Grand or White Rock Lake. It certainly is more central to the city than those places. It can also be used for large festivals like Independence Day or Juneteenth. Much needed space.

The question will be, does it attract the development it should. If it doesn't its simply a much much needed beautification of one of the nations biggest eyesores. So far so good as lots of plans have been thrown out. Some already underway.

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^another reason why I think the park will be used quite frequently is because people will drive right over it (and beside it) all day, every day, which will increase its visibility. I can't imagine people not wanting to visit this dynamic place after viewing others take advantage of all of its amenities, as they drive by.

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and people in Dallas take White Rock Lake and Samuell Grand for granted when they say no one would use the park or its unecessary. They forget how hard real estate developers have tried to build tall next to White Rock stating they want to build close to the water and in the city. If they really want to, like they say, this will be their chance.

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and people in Dallas take White Rock Lake and Samuell Grand for granted when they say no one would use the park or its unecessary.  They forget how hard real estate developers have tried to build tall next to White Rock stating they want to build close to the water and in the city.  If they really want to, like they say, this will be their chance.

Work has actually started on parts of the project. We will see one of the bridges come up soon I believe. I don't think the project will be as grand as projected, but something that does add distinct flair to Dallas. Check out this site for more information: http://www.trinityrivercorridor.org/index.html

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They should change the name of these bridges to Ebony and Ivory.

Becuase after they are built, everybody is just gonna learn to get along in Big D.

LOL. That gave me a good laugh. Kudos.

Maybe Houston could build some small scale versions to go over the Buffalo Bayou project that has been talked about forever.

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Work has actually started on parts of the project. We will see one of the bridges come up soon I believe. I don't think the project will be as grand as projected, but something that does add distinct flair to Dallas. Check out this site for more information: http://www.trinityrivercorridor.org/index.html

New cities like Dallas and Houston are very photogenic - the tall buildings are new and shiny. Individually, each bridge should be attractive and interesting, but not overwhelming. The striking beauty will emerge as three complimentary bridges create a horizontal landmark. This will add a very pleasant pyschological subtilty to observations of the skyline.

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Funds for Trinity bridges approved

Transportation bill includes $76 million for I-30, I-35E spans

07:10 AM CST on Friday, March 11, 2005

By EMILY RAMSHAW / The Dallas Morning News

The U.S. House passed a $284 billion transportation bill Thursday that includes every dollar Dallas officials requested for two new bridges spanning the Trinity River.

The U.S. Senate and House must still arrive at a final version, and President Bush must sign that six-year spending plan, which has been stalled for 18 months. But congressional leaders said Thursday that they are confident that will happen well before the current bill expires May 31.

The $76 million allocated for Trinity bridges isn't guaranteed, if only because "a chicken doesn't crow until the egg hatches," said U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Dallas. "But I'm very, very hopeful we get this done, and quickly. It looks good."

The future of Dallas' Trinity River project depends on three bridges

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