Its days are now numbered

Every day I have a habit of scanning thru news feeds on my phone and my computer, and earlier this week I came upon a most curious item. This was the sort of article that gets buried at least three pages deep in a newspaper, so not what one would term “breaking news”. But it drew my attention because of what I did last Sunday. It is well known that the Chesapeake Bay’s metal monster’s days are numbered, simply because its original span is seventy two years old. But what struck me was the timing of this announcement, that it came only a few days after I had walked across that great and mighty structure. As I have noted, for some time the state has been exploring its options with regards to how deal with the increasing traffic and maintenance issues on the bridge. But now they have winnowed these possible choices down to only a few. It is this announcement that was just made, along with some more detailed information as to what might be done. In the past, one option was to keep one or both of the original spans. This time, however, the hourglass has been flipped.  The execution date has been set. The metal monster’s days are truly numbered, as the state is expecting to replace it with at least one new span within the next decade or so. Of course, it isn’t going away tomorrow. But I do feel relieved that I got the chance to see it up close and walk its deck, as like that monster, I am also getting older.

As I perused the online file that the state had prepared on the future of the Bay Bridge, I noticed some interesting and also peculiar things. Essentially this notification is to give residents (and perhaps anyone who uses or has any interest in the bridge) an input as to what options might work best. Instead of a single span, now the plan is for two huge multi-lane spans built next to the original two, which will then be demolished. The presentation did not get into the type of bridge that would be built, but it did say that it must have at least 230 feet of clearance. The current bridge has 185 feet, so the new monster will be much, much taller! While I will be sad to see the old bridge go, I can just let my imagination run wild as to the colossus that will eventually replace it. As each span will be four or five lanes wide, with at least 230 feet of shipping clearance, that will be a truly monstrous bridge. As of now, the current record holder for largest cable stayed bridge in North America is the Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit, Michigan to Windsor, Ontario. If the new Bay Bridge is of this same cable stayed type (which is highly likely, given they are cheaper to build) it will give that border spanning bridge a run for its money!

There was also something else I noticed. It seems that people who have responded to the state’s request for input in the past want there to be a pedestrian and bike path across whatever new bridge is built. Considering that walking across the existing bridge was an unforgettable experience, I can see why so many people would want this to be a permanent part of a new bridge. But what I found to be most peculiar in the descriptions of this possible path was the state’s use of the unique term “fall protection”. Now to the average observer, that sounds like something that would be of concern in a nursing home or hospital, not on a bridge. So yes, this would of course be a way to try and separate the monster from its victims, but the state’s use of words is most bizarre. Again, this is a way of addressing the elephant in the room but without actually acknowledging it. “Fall protection” sounds rather bland and dry, and in no way describes what the true purpose of such a barrier would be. Most everyone is aware of that elephant, but almost no one wants to call it out for what it truly is.