Leonard

Marksmu, I agree with you that the load limits are ridiculously low and that it is ridiculous to expect drivers of non-commercial vehicles to adhere to the limits.

How is the bridge's load limit and enforcement RUDH's fault? Are you saying that if not for RUDH, the load limits on the bridge would be higher? Are you saying that RUDH controls HPD?

IronTiger, good question - what is the controversy? The bridge is scheduled to be rebuilt in late 2016. It will take from 3 weeks to 16 months to rebuild according to various HAIF posters. If the bridge's rating decrease much further, the bridge will have to be closed before 2016. The City is exploring repairs to make to the current bridge to bring up the ratings between now and 2016. What they can do is limited by the low load limits - scraping layers of asphalt off would improve the numbers, but the bridge can't support the equipment to do that. Yes, the load limit is as low as it can go, but it's constantly violated and it is impossible to keep over limit vehicles off of the bridge. Posters here talk of intentionally violating the load limit, not sure as to what their reasoning is behind that.

Nothing to do with walmart except the over $100K the City is on the hook for for cosmetic improvements to the bridge due to the 380.

I'm sure what you guys have observed going on other places is much more reliable than an engineers report done by engineers who have actually looked at this particular bridge. AND they might not even do new foundations for the Yale Street Bridge, so much less time. I'm sure the construction of this bridge it like totally the same as the other one and they could easily demolish half of it, no worries, while you and your kids drive across it. Although, since the bridge is perfectly fine as evidenced by you driving across it illegally without collapsing into the bayou, I question the need to do anything at all.

Niche, whatever. I try to quote sources when I can, like the Entech report or the 380 agreement. I try to relay facts that I think others might be interested in, and keep my outlandish theories to myself.

I've said over and over I think the 380 shouldn't exist. I don't think it should have been increased to include the bridge, something else I've said over and over. I'm just pointing out that the 380 did not do what it was intended to do. They did not get out in front of infrastructure issues. There sidewalks are worse, the trees are worse. I'm not saying that they should spend more 380 money. I'm saying they should never have spent any of it, it does not do what the City said it would do. For the last time, I don't think there should have been a single cent of 380 money spent on anything, regardless what Niche or Red may interpret from what I've said. Niche, are you sure the state is funding this, or is it federal funds? fwiki, for the time limit on the rebuild, I'm quoting the engineers the City commissioned to look at the bridge, which I clearly stated.

fwiki - it will be 12-16 months, 4 years from now. Or sooner and longer.

s3mh is right to say WHEN Yale Street closes not IF, because it WILL BE CLOSED. Reconstruction of the bridge will "necessitate the closure of the road for approximately one year" ... If new foundations are constructed, "this might lengthen the construction time by 3-4 months" (Entech report). That's 12 - 16 months. In late 2016 (according to COH) the bridge WILL BE CLOSED. It might even be closed before then, if they can't get the ratings up or if the ratings decline just a little bit. The point of the 380 (according to Parker) was that it was supposed to get out in front of infrastructure issues. 380 FAIL.

Niche, you're the one who said you didn't know why the developer would care about the balusters being repaired.

Again, Niche, before you question how I spend my time, you should spend the exact same amount of time on every other anti walmart fight out there. Your logic, not mine. I don't know why the developer and Walmart wanted cosmetic repairs on an 80+ year old bridge. Their logic also escapes me. I don't spend my time making up motives for others that I couldn't possibly know. However, I do know why they didn't resurface the bridge. The bridge can't handle the milling equipment.

I don't think anything should have been in the 380. And I've already said explicitly that I don't think replacing the bridge should be in the 380. Planeing, resurfacing and painting both Yale Street and Heights bridges are in the original 380 list. They took out planeing and resurfacing and added lights and baluster repair. It's a fact - the Yale Street Bridge is in the 380. How is stating a verifiable fact an unsupportable theory?

If this is true, this William Simon guy sounds like a real creep. Standing around watching hungry babies wait another hour for some formula that they have "been waiting for" so he can enjoy "substantially and significantly higher" sales. And he thinks it's "interesting". Really disgusting.

TGM - it's not an "argument" - it's a fact. The Yale Street Bridge is in the Ainbinder 380 and so is the Walmart.

Uh - the 380 links the bridge and Walmart. We get to reimburse the nice new balusters, lights and paint on the bridge 15 months after the Walmart opens via the 380.

Niche, I guess I don't hold Red's dissection of the 380 in the same high esteem you do. But you are right, it's pointless to discuss.

The 380 expense was capped due to protests from the community - they've reached the cap I would guess. However, it did call for bigger trees on Yale which they did not do. It was one of the things that Parker went on about. It's not wrong to point out we did not end up with bigger trees as a result of the 380. We got exactly the same trees we would have gotten without the 380. I don't think the developer should pay to replace the bridge. The bridge is over 80 years old. Bridges are built to last for 50. It's time for it to be replaced. It should not come as a surprise to the City that infrastructure doesn't last forever. I do think it's odd that everyone that supports the 380 sees no problem at all with a bridge on a 4 lane major road in Houston having a 6000 lb load limit. I guess if the government tells you it's good, you believe it.

Oh, come on Red - you can't mean to say that you think the government never wastes money.

ALL the 380's are horrible. The HEB one is an undisguised giveaway. Just because the disguise of the Ainbinder 380 fools you, does not mean it is not a giveaway. Just because you think Walmart can build without connecting to sewer doesn't make it true.

The Ainbinder 380 was NOT one of the "better written" ones. Borrowing money at unknown and uncapped interest? Ridiculous. Nothing in the 380 is required, except for the Walmat to open. If the developer doesn't do an item, they simply don't get paid for that item. Case in point - thicker trees. There is no penalty on the developer for not planting thicker trees on Yale. They already maxed out the 380 (which the people got capped) so they simply don't care. And DUH the issue is with the City for the 380. DUH DUH DUH. DUH the CITY should have done due diligence with the bridge. DUH DUH DUH. The City doesn't ADMINISTER 380's, they just pass them.

Those troopers better break step if they march across the Yale Street Bridge.

TGM, the City is recommending Heights Boulevard as a truck route. I think that map is a joke by heights. It's doubtful that large trucks could make all those turns on those streets. That being said, I think trucks will also have a hard time going south from I10 on Heights and making a right turn onto Koehler without going across both lanes of traffic on Koehler and perhaps up onto the opposite curb. I guess we will see how it works out. Lastly, it was clearly fwkis letter to the Mayor that caused this latest drop in load limits, and that s3mh had nothing to do with it.

And Niche, to keep your own "logic", I hope that you are expending as much effort on every other anti walmart effort that currently exists, has ever existed or will exist as you do on this one.

Niche, this is the worst bridge in Texas, according to the ratings. Which other bridges are in poor condition that you are so concerned about? Please elaborate on the several approaches to the store that Walmart 18-wheelers can take. The Entech report says that the limits were lowered to the previous level (8,000 lbs single axle, 10,000 lbs tandem) in late 2010. Signage didn't go up until late 2011. Why? Do you really think it is acceptable to have a bridge on a major thoroughfare with over 13,000 vehicles a day that has a limit of 3,000 lbs per axle? And traffic count of passenger vehicles is pretty important, don't you think?

Marksmu, if you have a non-commercial license and are driving a non-commercial vehicle I think you should fully expect to be able to drive across a 4-lane bridge on a major thoroughfare in a major city in the USA. This isn't some shabby little bridge over a crick out in a remote area. It will be interesting to see if the City intends to enforce these ridiculously low limits on people with "regular" licenses in "regular" vehicles. Also interesting is the line from the City's press release that Red pointed out - that the deterioration wasn't recent. When did the deterioration occur? Why weren't the load limits lowered at that point in time? There is a lot the City and TxDOT aren't telling us about this bridge. And Marksmu, there is no reason to get my camera out. The City says they've borrowed one to record the bridge.