More Fort Worth Bridgey McBridgeface Nutty Nonsense With Other Real Bridges

A couple weeks ago I blogged about a fresh Fort Worth embarrassment. That being the public being asked to come up with names for Fort Worth's three simple little bridges built over dry land.

Construction of which took seven years.

Over dry land.

The moronic Fort Worth public figures responsible for the bridge boondoggle idiotically claimed, over and over and over again that the three bridges were being built over dry land, to save time and money.

Making that idiotic claim when there was no option other than building the bridges over dry land, due to the fact that there would be no water under those bridges til a cement lined ditch was dug under them, with Trinity River water diverted into the ditch. 

To further elaborate on how idiotically moronic this building over dry land to same time and money claim is, well, what if the cement lined ditch was installed first. Well, there would be no way to cross the ditch, til bridges were built.

So, clearly there was no option other than building the bridges over dry land.

Regarding that blog post about the naming of those three pitiful freeway overpass looking bridges, Steve A made an amusing comment...

Steve A has left a new comment on your post "Fort Worth's Bridgey McBridgeface Bridge Name Nonsense Boondoggle":

How about "The Montlake Bridge Would be Green with Envy" as a name for one of the bridges. In Seattle, they weren't as clever as Fort Worth. In Seattle, they dug the ditch (called the Montlake Cut) for the ship canal and THEN built the bridge. Just the reverse of what Fort Worth did. Hence, my proposed name. We could call it MBWBGWE for short.

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Actually, there are two bridges over the Montlake Cut in Seattle. The first one built after the Montlake Cut was first cut. And then a few years later Interstate 5 came to town, requiring a massive double decker bridge high above the Montlake Cut.

And, for some unfathomable reason Seattle never felt the need to ask the public to suggest names for these bridges.

Yesterday the Fort Worth bridge boondoggle came back to mind when the entity known as Nutty McNutt pointed me to what you see at the top. A photo of the Astoria-Megler bridge under construction.

A blurb from Wikipedia about Astoria-Megler Bridge...

The Astoria–Megler Bridge is a steel cantilever through truss bridge in the northwest United States that spans the lower Columbia River, between Astoria, Oregon, and Point Ellice near Megler, Washington. Opened 57 years ago, in 1966, it is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America.

The bridge is 14 miles (23 km) from the mouth of the river at the Pacific Ocean. The bridge is 4.067 miles (6.55 km) in length and was the final segment of U.S. Route 101 to be completed between Olympia, Washington, and Los Angeles, California.

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Construction of this big bridge across the Columbia River began November 5, 1962, completed by August 27, 1966.

Completed in less than four years.

When Fort Worth began construction of its three little bridges over dry land, marking the start with a TNT exploding ceremony, it was with an, at the time, astonishing four-year construction timeline.

To build three little bridges over dry land.

Three little bridges which ended up taking seven years to build.

Over dry land.

The bridge which connects Astoria to Megler was built over a deep, fast moving river that was subject to tidal changes due to being so close to the Pacific Ocean.

I have driven over that bridge over the Columbia multiple times. It is one of the most adventurous river crossings I have ever crossed, particularly the section which quickly goes high, so that Portland bound ships can get past the bridge.

I wonder how long it would take Fort Worth to build a bridge like the Astoria-Megler Bridge over the Columbia? 20 years? A century? 

Spencer Jack Flies To Portland To See The Wreck Of The Peter Iredale

I found out this morning that a couple days ago I erroneously blogged Spencer Jack Flies His Dad Over Mt. St. Helens On The Way To The Grand Canyon because I thought that was where Spencer was flying his dad.

Instead Spencer Jack flew his dad from Bellingham to Portland. I learned this this morning via email. The email included several photos, along with text from my Favorite Nephew Jason.

In the first photo Spencer Jack is in Astoria. Behind Spencer Jack is the Columbia River. That ribbon of steel above the river is the Astoria-Megler Bridge. The Astoria-Megler Bridge was built in around four years. Built over swift moving water with frequent depth changes called tides. Built while accommodating shipping traffic heading out to the Pacific or upriver to various ports.

Spencer Jack also sent me a video, via the phone which I turned into a YouTube video. The text message included no description of what we are looking at in the video. My best guess is the plane is coming in for its landing in Portland. I will copy Jason's email message below the photos and below that I will stick the video.

(UPDATE: Email from Spencer Jack's dad corrects uncle's errors. Email copied in its entirety at end of post.)

Below Spencer Jack is on an Oregon Coast Pacific beach. I don't know if this is at Fort Stevens State Park, Seaside or Cannon Beach.

The next two photos I did not expect to see this morning. In a case of extreme coincidence, something yesterday caused me to look up the Wreck of the Peter Iredale. Something caused that subject to cross my mind and have me wondering if the remains of the wreck still existed. So, I Googled Peter Iredale to find out.

How could I know I did not need to Google this because within a day Spencer Jack would provide the answer, including photo documentation.

And how did Jason and Spencer Jack come to have the below photo? A photo I do not have.

That is my dad and me, standing in front of the Wreck of the Peter Iredale.

And now the email message from Jason and below that the aforementioned video....

FUD --

Spencer Jack and I just returned home to the Skagit Valley tonight.

Sorry for the delay in providing you with photos of your greatest nephew's first visit to one of the great wonders of the world---that being the Grand Canyon.

Those photos are not provided in this e-mail.  

Spencer Jack and I postponed visiting such, for reasons not discussed in this e-mail, and flew out of our favorite airport, that being Bellingham International 38 minutes south to a town called Portland.   We have learned that air transport abbreviates unnecessary road time.  

Anyway....

We managed our way to Portland.

From Portland, we took turns driving our rental car to many tourist spots.  We visited Astoria, stopping at the school were Kindergarten Cop was filmed, attempted to see the old 'Goonies' house, before making our way south.   Had a blast at Fort Stevens.    Saw what is left of the Peter Iredale.   Spent the night in this tourist town called Seaside.   This town is so fun and so grown up from what I remember as a child.

Visited Canon Beach, and further south....the Tillamook Cheese Factory, and Spencer even talked me into going to Multnomah Falls.  

Hope all is well, and I hope you enjoy the photos, FNJ.



Update from Spencer Jack's dad....

The video was Spencer looking out the window, seeing his mother's house, and all of Skagit Valley whilst the airplane was descending into Bellingham.  I'm surprised FUD didn't recognize this.

Also, I believe that is your twin sister Fancy in the photo with your papa.

Are you feeling okay?   You appear to be displaying early onset of dementia. 

Wondering Again How It Can Take Fort Worth 4 Years To Build 3 Simple Bridges

My Favorite Oregon Cousin, Scott, took the picture you are looking at here, yesterday or the day before yesterday.

In the picture we are in Oregon, looking north across the Columbia River, with Washington hidden in the fog.

That bridge is known as the Astoria-Megler Bridge.

I do not remember if I have blogged about this bridge previously in one of my continuing series of bloggings about feats of engineering, usually bridges, built in four years, or less.

Over water.

I am motivated to blog about these feats of engineering due to the astonishing fact that a bridge building project, currently sort of underway in Fort Worth, has a four year project timeline.

Four years to build three simple, little bridges.

Over dry land.

Eventually, some day, way in the future, if money can be found to do so, a ditch may be dug under Fort Worth's bridges, with water added, which at that point the bridges will be connecting the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island.

No one has an explanation as to why it will take Fort Worth's infamous Boondoggle four years to build three simple, little bridges. Most people's best guess is there is a shortage of funds causing the slow motion construction.

The Astoria-Megler Bridge is not a simple, little bridge. The bridge is 4.1 miles long. The bridge is designed to handle wind blows of 150 mph and a river current of 9 mph. This bridge is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America.

Obviously this bridge was built over water. With that water affected by tidal changes. While under construction the engineers had to contend with ship traffic making its way upriver from the Pacific, or heading downriver, out to sea.

Bridge building complications of the sort Fort Worth can only dream of.

And yet this bridge took less than four years to build, with construction beginning November 5, 1962, finished July 29, 1966.

As you can see via the above photo, the bridge as it leaves Astoria soars quite high. That is so ships can pass. Note that big pier upon which the cantilevered span rests.

I wonder if the local Astoria press made a big deal out of when that pier started to rise out of the water, like the Fort Worth Star-Telegram did when America's Biggest Boondoggle's pitiful little wooden forms for the bridge's V piers became visible rising from dry land?

I suspect not....

North America's Longest Continuous Truss Bridge Took Less Than Four Years To Build While In Fort Worth....

Continuing on with our popular series of bloggings devoted to bridges, or other feats of engineering, which took four years, or less, to construct, today we look at the Astoria-Megler Bridge.

To recap, way back in November of last year the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle put on an explosive show to mark the start of construction of three very small, very ordinary, very simple bridges being built over dry land over an imaginary channel to connect the mainland to an imaginary island.

These three very simple bridges are scheduled to take four years to build. The TRV Boondoggle propagandists have tried to sell the the idea that the bridges are being built over dry land so as to save money, when the real reason the bridges are being built over dry land is because no money is available to start digging the un-needed flood diversion channel, sold as a vitally needed flood control and economic development project, but apparently so un-urgent that the project has no timeline, one of many reasons that many of those who have been watching this embarrassment up close now refer to it simply as The Boondoggle.

Another thing, early on The Boondoggle referred to the Three Bridges Over Nothing as being signature bridges which would become iconic symbols of Fort Worth. That propaganda seems to have been dropped, likely after the propaganda-izers realized how ridiculous it made them sound.

Now, on to today's bridge.

The Astoria-Megler Bridge connects the state I was born in, Oregon, to the state I grew up in, Washington.

This bridge spans a real river, not a ditch, with that real river being one of the biggest rivers in the world, the Columbia, only 14 miles from where the Columbia meets the Pacific Ocean, hence the river is wide, which is why the Astoria-Megler Bridge is 4.1 miles long.

The Astoria-Megler Bridge is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America.

Construction began on November 5, 1962, opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony (no Fort Worth style explosion) on August 27, 1966.

Taking less than four years to build.

Unlike Fort Worth and its Boondoggle's Three Bridges Over Nothing, the Astoria-Megler Bridge was built over water.

A lot of water.

Deep water. Water that flows fast, at times, like during tidal changes. Or when the Columbia is in flood mode. Or during flash floods caused by an exploding volcano.

Also, during those less than four years it took to build this bridge over the Columbia, the engineers engineering the project had to contend with a lot of ships coming in from the Pacific, heading upriver to port towns like Longview, Portland and Vancouver, and then going the other direction, back to the Pacific.

The Fort Worth Boondoggle's Three Bridges Over Nothing have absolutely ZERO construction challenges.

Well, there is that lack of money problem, mostly brought about by the fact that the public has never voted for this project, hence no bond issue, no funding mechanism.

But, there was the hope of securing federal handouts with the hiring of a Fort Worth Congresswoman's son, J.D. Granger, to be the Executive Director of The Boondoggle, a position for which he had ZERO qualifications, a fact that likely is a large part of the reason why, and how, all these years later the Trinity River Vision has developed cataracts with its now foggy vision morphed into a Boondoggle.

Of late there have been reports of The Boondoggle's bridge construction causing woes in addition to the traffic problems caused by detours. Several restaurants which were lucky enough to escape being stolen by TRV Boondoggle eminent domain abuse, managing to stay open, are now hurting, due to the fact that it is now so difficult to get to the restaurants' parking lots.

Has the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported on why it is that the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Three Bridges Over Nothing are projected to take four years to build? If not, why not? Why does this town's sad excuse for a newspaper of record continue to turn a blind eye to such an embarrassing vision?

If you want to learn more about the Astoria-Megler Bridge, the Wikipedia article covers it well, and is where I found the two photos of the Astoria-Megler Bridge I have used in this blogging, including the one below, shot in what is known locally as the Luenser style...