the woodrow wilson memorial bridge project rich carmona michael francis
DESCRIPTION
Current Conditions In Washington D.C. Approximately 200,000 vehicles per day Estimated to grow to 295,000 per day by 2020 Trucks will have to be prohibited in 2004 Cost of rehabilitation is equal to the cost of a new bridge Structural damage caused by dynamic vibrations from overloadingTRANSCRIPT
The Woodrow Wilson Memorial Bridge Project
Rich CarmonaMichael Francis
• Completed 1964• Total Length –1798m• Width – 33.5m• 6 Lanes of Traffic• Height – 50 ft• Designed to carry
75,000 vehicles per day
• $15 Million
The Original Bridge
Current Conditions In Washington D.C.
• Approximately 200,000 vehicles per day• Estimated to grow to 295,000 per day by 2020• Trucks will have to be prohibited in 2004
• Cost of rehabilitation is equal to the cost of a new bridge
• Structural damage caused by dynamic vibrations from overloading
New Bridge
• Total Length –1829m• Width – 72.3m• 12 Lanes• Height – 70 ft• 18 Spans• Box-girder
construction• Cost – $492 million
Bascule Span Bridge
• 17th Street Bridge (completed 2001)
• Total Length – 582m• Width - 32.6m• 4 Lanes• Height – 55 ft• Variable depth
segmental construction • Cost - $65 million
Parsons Transportation
• New Tacoma Narrows Bridge (completed 2007)
• Total Length – 1645m • Main Span – 853m• Width – 20.1m• 3 Lanes• Deck stiffened suspension• $615 Million
Cost Comparison
$0.00
$500.00
$1,000.00
$1,500.00
$2,000.00
cost/sqft
New Wilson
17th Street
Tacoma
Narrows
• Both bascule spans are much cheaper per square foot
• Slightly higher costs of the new Wilson Bridge can be attributed to its greater height
Scientific
Social Impact
• Traffic Lanes will increase from 6 to 12• Eventually there will be mass transit over the
bridge
Bridge Openings
• The new bridge is taller to allow for fewer openings of the drawbridge which means less standstills.
• The backups are regularly miles long in both directions as eight lanes of beltway squeeze into six.
Social Impact• Alternatives was to reroute trucks to I-395, I-
295 and Route 301.• About 20,000 trucks a day could be diverted
from the Beltway. $58 Billion of trucked GDP crossed the bridge in 1993.
• The diversion of traffic from I-95 would have bad effects on the economy
Symbolic
• Symbolic of the politics and red tape of D.C.• Looking towards the past • Will increase the suburbanization of
Washington D.C.
Symbolic
• In D.C. it had the opportunity to be a memorable structure-identifying mark of the region
Structural Art• Does our bridge “qualify” as structural art?
Structural Art
• Park within a structure?• Is the bridge honest with us?• Does it accurately convey the forces of the
bridge?
Does it Matter?
• Utilitarian purpose of a bridge- to get people and goods from here to there, in cars, trucks, bicycles or whatever.
• Aesthetic and symbolic- to make these crossings meaningful to participants and also to distant observers in boats, on river embankments, in neighboring buildings
“Change is not worthwhile unless it shows improvement”
-President Woodrow Wilson