Cangrejo bridge closed due to major structural failure.

[Ecoman1949]

9 days to finish the steel, pour the deck and backfill the abutments on each side just wide enough so the President can walk across and back is possible, but not to be open for traffic.
If that is to be 4 lanes there won't be a walkway on the bridge nor guard barriers, but I won't complain for 2 lanes.
But for sure some Dominican rude driver (is that redundant) will try to pass and squeeze in no matter how many lanes they make.

Pedestrian walkways can be welded on at a later date without interrupting traffic flow. Vehicle traffic is the political priority. My concern would be the overloaded trucks continuing to cross with impunity and the flexing steel spans. The built in curvature is going to be under a lot of long term stress. Someone posted the previous steel bridge lasted decades before failing due to overloading and lack of maintenance. I’m not an engineer and I’m guessing the steel spans have a useful life shorter than the abutments. We know preventative maintenance in the DR is an elusive thing. At some point will the spans stress crack and fail?

 

[Notengo]

The built in curvature is a compensation for final (construction) loads. It should be basically straight under load. I believe truck trailers are also built like that.

Any 2 lane road here will be a 4 lane when traffic density “demands” for it.

 

[chico bill]

The built in curvature is a compensation for final (construction) loads. It should be basically straight under load. I believe truck trailers are also built like that.

Any 2 lane road here will be a 4 lane when traffic density “demands” for it.

Yep, those beams are cold-cambered. Meaning they were fixed at the ends and a large hydraulic jack placed in the mid-span to bend them to a pre-determined camber.
Most all of the camber will flatten down once the concrete deck is poured, but possibly not all of it.
Cambering adds strength to steel beams.
A walkway could be added later ? I don't think so, but pipe hangers could be added for a water line, that used to hang on the old bridge.

 

[rogerjac]

Chico, how wide does that seem to be?

Calculate Road Width | How to Measure Road or Highway Width

How to find width of road or highway? How to find road width? Single lane road width and double lane road width. Single and dual carriageway road width.

www.constructioncivilengineering.com

Looks to be by my calculations 65 feet plus or minus

 

[cavok]

So, it looks like it could be four lanes then(?).

 

[lifeisgreat]

So, it looks like it could be four lanes then(?).

Pictures don’t do Size Justice …bridge is massive more than enough room 4 lanes and walkway. Look at picture and roadway bridge is wider then road and cars parked on sides..

 

[chico bill]

Pictures don’t do Size Justice …bridge is massive more than enough room 4 lanes and walkway. Look at picture and roadway bridge is wider then road and cars parked on sides..

If there is a walkway on one side, say 4' wide plus a barrier between the walkway and traffic and a railing at a minimum outside the walkway to prevent fall offs into the water, plus a traffic barrier on the other side would take up at least 9'-10'. If it is 65' wide ( not certain on that) then there would be 55' available for traffic.
Four 12' lanes plus 18' for double striping middle divider line then 6" each for the other 2 dividing lines requires 50.5' - so it is possible but it will be snug. But there is no real reason to make it 4 lanes now since it necks down on each side to 2 lanes

 

[cavok]

If there is a walkway on one side, say 4' wide plus a barrier between the walkway and traffic and a railing at a minimum outside the walkway to prevent fall offs into the water, plus a traffic barrier on the other side would take up at least 9'-10'. If it is 65' wide ( not certain on that) then there would be 55' available for traffic.
Four 12' lanes plus 18' for double striping middle divider line then 6" each for the other 2 dividing lines requires 50.5' - so it is possible but it will be snug. But there is no real reason to make it 4 lanes now since it necks down on each side to 2 lanes

It should be wide enough so Dominicans can continue to pass on the right if traffic gets slow.

 

[lifeisgreat]

If there is a walkway on one side, say 4' wide plus a barrier between the walkway and traffic and a railing at a minimum outside the walkway to prevent fall offs into the water, plus a traffic barrier on the other side would take up at least 9'-10'. If it is 65' wide ( not certain on that) then there would be 55' available for traffic.
Four 12' lanes plus 18' for double striping middle divider line then 6" each for the other 2 dividing lines requires 50.5' - so it is possible but it will be snug. But there is no real reason to make it 4 lanes now since it necks down on each side to 2 lanes

Ya I don’t get why they are making 4 lanes kinda stupid no hope in near future hwy to be 4 lanes ..maybe some plans down the rd..I think it’s going to cause fender benders for now..

 

[jd426]

It should be wide enough so Dominicans can continue to pass on the right if traffic gets slow.

I had to read that twice , until I got it . lol

 

[RDKNIGHT]

come on folks let's get to a thousand comments by Christmas we can do it the famous crab Bridge

 

[Kricke87]

come on folks let's get to a thousand comments by Christmas we can do it the famous crab Bridge

Sure I'm on it

Looks to be by my calculations 65 feet plus or minus

How do you come to those calculations?
Just by looking at the pictures of those panels being laid, it seems like they don't look to be much bigger than 6 feet wide, and there are 8 panels so then the entire bridge would be more or less 50 feet wide... I might be wrong, but I don't think it's going to be a 4 lane bridge.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

The obsession continues. Pretty soon meds will be needed

 

[rogerjac]

Sure I'm on it

How do you come to those calculations?
Just by looking at the pictures of those panels being laid, it seems like they don't look to be much bigger than 6 feet wide, and there are 8 panels so then the entire bridge would be more or less 50 feet wide... I might be wrong, but I don't think it's going to be a 4 lane bridge.

Okay somebody has to go down there and measure the width of the bridge before we get into an argument.

 

[lifeisgreat]

Pouring concrete!

 

[cavok]

Sure I'm on it

How do you come to those calculations?
Just by looking at the pictures of those panels being laid, it seems like they don't look to be much bigger than 6 feet wide, and there are 8 panels so then the entire bridge would be more or less 50 feet wide... I might be wrong, but I don't think it's going to be a 4 lane bridge.

Look at the workers standing on those panels. They don't look as wide as a worker is tall, so maybe 4 feet each(?). That would make the bridge 32 feet wide.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

Look at the workers standing on those panels. They don't look as wide as a worker is tall, so maybe 4 feet each(?). That would make the bridge 32 feet wide.

C, this really doesn't matter all the speculation and calculations. At the end of the day we're all just gonna have to drive across it regardless if they used steel or aluminum foil, concrete or cotton candy. Regardless if it's 34' or 10. It is what it is.

 

[Kricke87]

C, this really doesn't matter all the speculation and calculations. At the end of the day we're all just gonna have to drive across it regardless if they used steel or aluminum foil, concrete or cotton candy. Regardless if it's 34' or 10. It is what it is.

Wow.. talk about a buzzkill
Well, I'm excited to be able to cross it in 10 days, I even have it on my bucket list...

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

Wow.. talk about a buzzkill
Well, I'm excited to be able to cross it in 10 days, I even have it on my bucket list...

Maybe you can camp out, dress up like Batman and be the first one in line to cross. I will most likely wait a month or so to make sure I don't end up floating down the river

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

Yep, those beams are cold-cambered. Meaning they were fixed at the ends and a large hydraulic jack placed in the mid-span to bend them to a pre-determined camber.
Most all of the camber will flatten down once the concrete deck is poured, but possibly not all of it.
Cambering adds strength to steel beams.
A walkway could be added later ? I don't think so, but pipe hangers could be added for a water line, that used to hang on the old bridge.

Do they do stress tests on these things prior to the grand opening?