This was the scene Wednesday evening as all traffic, motor vehicle and pedestrian, was stopped on the Memorial Bridge. A week or two ago, a crack was discovered in one of the concrete/stone/steel pylons…a crack eighteen inches deep by some reports. I don’t know exactly what they discovered today…but if an eighteen inch crack isn’t serious enough to close the bridge, they found something that is!

For many who remember the bridge’s unique steel decking, this bridge is special. It was a real trip riding motorcycle over this bridge, with the gridwork tugging the wheels side to side while giving a perfect view of the water beneath. Then, when the bridge needed extensive repair work, someone thought up the unique solution of piling another couple dozen tons of concrete on top of that deck. I mean, if the bridge is suffering structurally, wouldn’t the natural response be to increase the load on it?

This is an awkward situation, since the bids for the bridge’s replacement should have already been awarded. But nobody submitted a bid when the process opened last November. Presumably the concrete shortage in the Katrina aftermath and the volatility of steel due to demand and tariffs make bidding a job like this a pretty risky proposition. Other reasons I’ve heard is that major construction firms that do this sort of work are just too darn busy.

I videotaped the ceremony where they announced the new design and had a bunch of muckety-mucks shaking hands with Senator Conrad on the Mandan side of the river. This was last summer. The new design will be very nice, with memorials constructed for the veterans. After all, the existing bridge is dedicated to them. They won’t be forgotten when it is replaced.

So now what? How much money will it cost to nurse this thing along until construction can begin on a new bridge? When does the DOT say it’s not worth it, and abort repairs in preparation for replacement? Hopefully the details will be released to keep us in the know.