tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470543006314152962.post1567582733997789188..comments2024-03-11T16:49:27.614+00:00Comments on The Happy Pontist: River Wear bridge design remains top secretThe Happy Pontisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15252272118786667592noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470543006314152962.post-27038925491004913612008-08-10T23:49:00.000+01:002008-08-10T23:49:00.000+01:00There's more detail on this story at Journal Live....There's more detail on this story at <A HREF="http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2008/07/18/secret-bridge-plan-doubts-rumoured-61634-21362608/" REL="nofollow">Journal Live</A>. This talks about a <I>"suspension bridge formed from two gigantic Bull’s Horn-style posts emerging from the river banks meeting together to form an arc from which the road is suspended"</I>, but notes that significant technical work on this design is still required.The Happy Pontisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15252272118786667592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470543006314152962.post-67701645329318741942008-08-04T17:29:00.000+01:002008-08-04T17:29:00.000+01:00The government have now committed funding to build...The government have <A HREF="http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2008/08/01/government-pays-98m-for-fourth-wear-bridge-61634-21445965/" REL="nofollow">now committed funding</A> to build a bridge at this site, although no decision has yet been made on the actual design that will be adopted. The money is apparently sufficient for a "bog-standard" bridge. The Spence / Techniker competition-winning design would require additional funding from the local council. I have to say, I think that's very unlikely to happen!The Happy Pontisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15252272118786667592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470543006314152962.post-21788503472811219262008-08-03T14:54:00.000+01:002008-08-03T14:54:00.000+01:00I'll have something more detailed to say on the Ri...I'll have something more detailed to say on the River Wear bridge in a future post. Cost inflation is a common problem with design competitions (again, more on this later); some of it because promoters don't set realistic budgets to begin with; and some of it because certain designers have little real appreciation of the cost of their more outlandish creations.The Happy Pontisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15252272118786667592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6470543006314152962.post-88339692391323338662008-07-28T10:13:00.000+01:002008-07-28T10:13:00.000+01:00I've seen the design. Why it was chosen as the win...I've seen the design. Why it was chosen as the winner for a project intended to cost £43 million is beyond me. But then again the Spence/Expedition Engineering design which won the Stockton footbridge competition (shown in the Journal article) was submitted for a competition with a budget of £4 million. Final budget? £15 million.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com