$4.6 MM for a horse bridge

[NYcarbineer]

That is silly. Most horses can jump 4.6 millimeters.

 

[Dick Tuck]

There's two sides to every story. The FOX side, and a more reality side.

A $4.6m bridge over Route 24 will reconnect trails in two sections of the Blue Hills Reservation, to the joy of area equestrians

...

The old horse bridge was built in 1958 — the same time as Route 24 — and was in serious disrepair. It had been hit a number of times by oversized vehicles, and its concrete support beams had top-to-bottom cracks.

The new bridge is 16 feet, 9 inches high — 2 1/2 feet taller than its predecessor.

Although the span is commonly known as the horse bridge, it is also used by people and perhaps other, wilder species.

“It is particularly popular with hikers and horse riders,’’ Wendy Fox, spokeswoman for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, said. “It is an important connector between two sections of the Blue Hills Reservation.’’

...​

So a bridge that connects two parts of essentially a large State park is in severe disrepair, and is a hazard to those traveling on a busy highway. It's used by horse back riders, campers, hikers, wildlife, and emergency UTVs. The existing bridge is a hazard to some truck traffic traffic, and the is crumbling at the seams, creating a more significant threat to public safety. The state has an 8 year, $3 billion fund for bridge repair.

It may or may not be worth it, but it's nice to lay all the facts on the table to come to a more reasonable conclusion. I guess one answer is to make the whole thing two smaller state parks.

Would opinion change if it were a pedestrian bridge on the Appalachian Trail, going over some interstate?

 

[Dick Tuck]

That is silly. Most horses can jump 4.6 millimeters.

Not sure where upstate you are, but my Daughter is near the Mohunk state parks. I see lots of people bring their horse trailers to go riding there.

 

[Dick Tuck]

There is a bit more to the bridge story than was reported.

It connects two sections of a state park that would otherwise be unconnected without having to cross a major highway. It's also very old and very low and has been hit numerous times by trucks - the old bridge was a hazard for traffic passing below as much as it was for those crossing. It also allows emergency vehicles to cross without having to deal with interstate traffic.

The old horse bridge was built in 1958 — the same time as Route 24 — and was in serious disrepair. It had been hit a number of times by oversized vehicles, and its concrete support beams had top-to-bottom cracks.

The new bridge is 16 feet, 9 inches high — 2 1/2 feet taller than its predecessor.

Oopsy, missed your post before I posted. My only excuse is that when I see something being reported by FOX, my BS detector starts to automatically redline.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Regardless...$4.6 million is ludicrous...insane.
Look at the bridge in the video...there is no other place to put the bridge where the span doesn't have to be so long? And then looking at the map, looks like about 4-5 miles away the hwy curves away fron the area...why not build a small bridge there?
Another example in the loooooooooooong list of examples of why taxes are not the problem - overspending...is.

 

[Dick Tuck]

Regardless...$4.6 million is ludicrous...insane.
Look at the bridge in the video...there is no other place to put the bridge where the span doesn't have to be so long? And then looking at the map, looks like about 4-5 miles away the hwy curves away fron the area...why not build a small bridge there?
Another example in the loooooooooooong list of examples of why taxes are not the problem - overspending...is.

It might take a change order to move that thing.

 

[NYcarbineer]

Well, you weren't complaining about this:

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