I'm confused, didn't you just say the ONLY walkover accesible in the whole city. Not original? Sounds pretty dang original to me for it to be the first in the city possibly state.

Architect2010 said: "This wouldn't be the only walkover..."

The original part is in the design, as it doesn't look like any other pedestrian bridge in the State (as far as I know).

yea i can think of a couple

which ones? Similar or unique in design that is....

The type of bridge that is proposed doesn't appear to be something that should take that long to complete. They could probably start it within six months of the opening of I40 and have it done it time.

Specific elements on the bridge are extremely unique, and will require extra fabrication time. Even though it's a pedestrian bridge, it will require the same amount of time, if not more, as a vehicle bridge to construction. It will be able to carry a vehicle (for maintenance, emergencies, etc.), so it's constructed like a vehicle bridge. I think a year is a good time line for the bridge (but I haven't looked at the plans, so it's just an educated guess).

Larry. Stop nitpicking. Took my words way out of context.

I was referring to the fact that someone mentioned that it's not safe because someone could jump off the edge. My point was, this wouldn't be the only pedestrian bridge or bridge period that someone could jump off of.

Larry. Stop nitpicking. Took my words way out of context.

I was referring to the fact that someone mentioned that it's not safe because someone could jump off the edge. My point was, this wouldn't be the only pedestrian bridge or bridge period that someone could jump off of.

???

My apologies for any confusion and there was no intent on my part to take anything out of context. I was defending your post, the person who responded to your post seemed to have missed the word "wouldn't". They also missed the safety/jumping off part (which was in the immediately preceding post).

There is nothing wrong with your post (stand alone or in with the one before it). I agree.

Pedestrian bridge gets name
February 24, 2010
http://photos.newsok.com/2/showimage/863122/lead620/
A pedestrian bridge that will cross the new Interstate 40 was named Skydance Bridge on Tuesday by Oklahoma City Council members. The modernistic design of the bridge was inspired by the official state bird, the scissor-tailed flycatcher. The new interstate opens in 2012. The Skydance Bridge is part of the city’s long-term effort to connect downtown to the Oklahoma River.

Read more: NewsOK (http://www.newsok.com/pedestrian-bridge-gets-name/article/3441789#ixzz0ga7E6AVd)

Uhhhhhh....didn't it get that name a long time ago...but this is the official unveiling of it? Just wondering...

Uhhhhhh....didn't it get that name a long time ago...but this is the official unveiling of it? Just wondering...

I think Newsok is running out of stories.. lol

Uhhhhhh....didn't it get that name a long time ago...but this is the official unveiling of it? Just wondering...

City Council had never actually approved a name... so it's just a formalization.

Whatever they call it, people will nickname it something like "the spike".

Meet me at the spike...

Whatever they call it, people will nickname it something like "the spike".

Meet me at the spike...

Sounds like a one night hookup. :LolLolLol

The "V for Vendetta" bridge...The Tea Baggers will love it.

Or the Nixon Bridge...

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XPZm8uXU4e0/Sn6wkuzFGRI/AAAAAAAABU0/rtGhkG9Lv6M/s400/Richard-Nixon-leaving-white-house.jpg

When I first saw this bridge it reminded me of this one I saw in Buenos Aires:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Puente_de_la_Mujer,_Puerto_Madero.jpg

Puente de la Mujer | Puerto Madero - Todo Buenos Aires (http://www.todobuenosaires.com/descripcion/descripcion_lugar.php?Id=573)

It's nice when lit up at night and actually pivots (1/4 turn) to let the boats in and out. Although I think ours has much more potential, I thought it looked strangely familiar.

^^^^^That one pivots to let boats in!,and Our's has more potential?

Bridge funding secured (Oklahoman 3/4/10)

Federal money will help fund the pedestrian bridge that will cross the new I-40 south of downtown Oklahoma City. City council members approved an agreement Tuesday with the state Transportation Department that calls on the department to provide $3.5 million of its federal funds to the Oklahoma City Skydance Bridge project. Any additional costs will be paid by the city, which will also maintain the bridge once it is built. The estimated construction cost of the bridge is $6.6 million.

The cost has doubled on this since the Core to Shore report, ($3.3M). Understandably lower since it was a basic bridge and not the "SkyDance" one (presumably that is the $5M on the City's website). Now it is at $6.6M

I'm glad funding was secured for the project. Does anyone know when construction might start? I would imagine soon- if they want it to be completed by the time I-40 opens.

It's a pretty fabulous bridge, and everyone driving I-40 would see it. I'm fine with that price tag, considering how iconic the bridge will be. Although not in design or scale, in concept it reminds me of the great bridge you cross driving into Savannah. From a distance, it looks like a ship with a full sail.

I agree it will be iconic and maybe even be worth the $6M price tag, but that isn't the point. We were told it was only going to cost $3.3M, then $5M, then $6.6M (still not constructed so may go up even more). In the grand scheme of things we are "only" talking about $3M, but will you be ok with any of the MAPS 3 projects doubling in cost? The answer to that should be a resounding NO! (IMO)

I agree with Larry. I wasn't exactly in favor of everything in MAPS, it has passed, so I'm not going to argue on that. I have to leave for work in a few minutes so I will cut this short. Can Oklahoma City afford a 1.45 billion dollar MAPS project? If this was estimated at 50% when it was fed to us, then we are in trouble. Let's hope that is not the case.

I'm fine with additional cost for the SkyDance bridge because I-40 is a busy avenue across America and it will give us a unique advertisement opportunity to the thousands of people transitioning through Oklahoma. I can hear it now, "I thought Oklahoma [City] was a dustbowl, look at that tall building and this cool looking modern bridge, I wonder what else this city has to offer?"

SkyWestOKC: I really hope none of the MAPS 3 projects end up that way. Best case scenario is we end up with several NBA Practice Facilities (by that, I mean they come in at less than half at what was originally earmarked/projected). However, the City readily admits that projects come in an average of 8% more and the original MAPS came in 47.75% more than what voters were told (none of the projects came in under budget and some were significantly over). Given all of the above, hard to believe but the City has only included 2.2% for cost over runs in MAPS 3 ($17M).

To be fair, even though the cost has doubled, according to the article it is being covered by the stimulus money, so in theory not costing the OKC taxpayers any more (at least directly)

I'm confused, didn't you just say the ONLY walkover accesible in the whole city. Not original? Sounds pretty dang original to me for it to be the first in the city possibly state.

Far from the first. There's a pedestrian bridge over I-44 at Woodson Park.

Far from the first. There's a pedestrian bridge over I-44 at Woodson Park. I can think of three on the southside at one time.

I remember the one on the southside too. Is it gone now, I guess? Must have been removed as part of the I-240 widening of 20 years or however long ago that was.

Crap. Typing that just made me feel old. Well, actually, being old made me feel old, and typing that just reminded me of it.

One on the south side is over I-240 between Penn and Western.
Right about where the "old" Circuit City was.

Isnt there a pedestrian bridge crossing over I-240 (or whatever that section is called) between SW 29th and 44th?

And then there was one on I-240 just east of Penn (where the Wal-Mart was before it relocated to Santa Fe)

Isnt there a pedestrian bridge crossing over I-240 (or whatever that section is called) between SW 29th and 44th?

And then there was one on I-240 just east of Penn (where the Wal-Mart was before it relocated to Santa Fe)

Just south of 29th is the bridge at Woodson Park.
The other is the one where Wal-Mart was just before Circuit City was built there and subsequently closed.

Circuit City? Wasn't it down on Shields (in the K-Mart parking lot)

Circuit City? Wasn't it down on Shields (in the K-Mart parking lot)

Yes, it was on the NW corner of Shields and I240.

I seem to have a hazy memory of a pedestrian bridge over I-35 near S.E. Grand Blvd. I have an image of a spiraling stairway and a concrete bridge. Does anyone else remember this?

I seem to have a hazy memory of a pedestrian bridge over I-35 near S.E. Grand Blvd. I have an image of a spiraling stairway and a concrete bridge. Does anyone else remember this? Yes.

what an interesting design for a bridge....a large erected spike jutting up into the air.

just the perfect design we need in our very meteorolgical and tornadically active city.

i guess if a tornado ever decides to rip that spike off, its gonna hurl it at some building and will eventually impale someone.

nice.

A tornado is more likely to twist it into a pretzel than rip it off, in my inexpert opinion. I haven't looked at lots of tornado damage, but what I have seen makes me think the pretzel option is likelier.

Circuit City? Wasn't it down on Shields (in the K-Mart parking lot)Yes, it was at Shields and I-240, then relocated to the old Wall-Mart site. It's at the end of a strip mall and is currently vacant.

I seem to have a hazy memory of a pedestrian bridge over I-35 near S.E. Grand Blvd. I have an image of a spiraling stairway and a concrete bridge. Does anyone else remember this?
Now that you say that, I remember it too. Also, if I remember right, there was a fatality associated with that bridge, where someone standing on it dropped a cinderblock or something onto the windshield of a car passing underneath and it killed the driver. If I reach into the really craggy depths of my memory I even want to say that the victim was a woman. If these recollections are correct, it might have had something to do with the bridge's removal.

I don't remember the inicident, but I do remember the bridge in the foreground of a view of the oil derricks looking north northwest from I-35.

I think someone jumped off of either grand or 29th street bridge in 2005 or so. I was driving S. on I-35 and it was closed in that area, there was a body with a sheet on it in one of the south bound lanes.

I think a bridge-walkway over an Interstate is kinda cool but, maybe a security guard would have to be on duty at all times for the sake of safety from dumb s**t which has happened before in other places. The signage if done well would be nice. replay

Yeah, but most current vehicular bridges over interstates also have sidewalks, and it's not like there is an epidemic of that type of thing (knock on wood).

OKC Council to decide on pedestrian bridge cost
By Brian Brus
Oklahoma City reporter
Posted: 06:03 PM Friday, October 22, 2010

OKLAHOMA CITY – City Council members will decide Tuesday whether to approve a slight increase in the contract price for the Core to Shore Interstate 40 pedestrian bridge in response to rising construction costs.

While the overall construction cost for the Skydance Bridge near a planned massive central park has increased $1.58 million and the design fees have risen by $180,000, the bridge itself has been reduced in scope to fall within budget.

In mid-2008, Obelisk Engineering Inc., doing business as Butzer SXL, entered into a contract with Oklahoma City municipal government to provide the conceptual design of the pedestrian bridge. A Consultant Review Committee report ranked MKEC Engineering Consultants and Butzer Design Partnership as the top-rated firm for what became known as SkyDance Bridge.

“This iconic bridge is a pivotal element in the city’s efforts to provide a strong pedestrian connection between the downtown core and
the Oklahoma River as outlined in the city’s Core-to-Shore plan,” City Manager Jim Couch said to council members in a memo.

The bridge at SW Ninth Street and Harvey Avenue is expected to be one of the most visible elements of extensive redevelopment of 750 acres between the downtown district and the Oklahoma River. City leaders set projects in motion several years ago to coincide with the relocation of Interstate 40.

Since the contract was signed, the estimated construction cost for the project increased from $5.22 million to about $12.8 million.

“The significantly increased estimated construction cost exceeds the city’s budget authorization for this project and, accordingly, the engineer/architect has been directed to redesign the bridge to remain within the $6.8 million estimated construction cost budget,” the upper limit originally approved for the project, Couch said.

Given the economic limitations, the engineer/architect’s efforts on the original design have been stopped at 85 percent of completion and a second option has been commissioned instead. The original work will be maintained on file in the event additional funds become available for possible completion, Couch said.

The original SkyDance Bridge concept involved a sculpturelike cable stay structure that was integral to the bridge. The redesign will incorporate a trussed bridge with a self-supporting sculptural “bird” concept, Couch said.

Public Works Director Dennis Clowers said construction is scheduled to begin in March in order to match work on I-40 by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. The city has already let a contract to lay the foundation for the center pier of the bridge.
The project is being funded by a series of general obligation bonds approved in 1989, 1995 and 2000.

This p***** me off to no end... "scuptural bird concept".... good grief!

Unbelievable! How does the price double!!!! This is so ridiculous. As usual, OKC had an opportunity to have something iconic, but instead we will have something half ass. I am very disappointed.

Damn it! How in the hell does the price more than double in 1 1/2 years?? It's perfectly designed the way it was/is, it would have been iconic and anyone that would have passed through OKC would remember it for it's design. If they can't make it look like it was originally suppose to (Lighting, Size, Design), I say they hold off on it until they can some how come up with the money. This bridge is an important part of our city's image IMO.

Classic. Things in Oklahoma always end up half-assed.

This is no different than anything else they do. It's always scale back,just like they are doing to the Ford Center. This shouldn't be a surprise and I am SURE that some of the other projects planned will be SCALED BACK.

A "Bird" concept??? Ha ha ha ha ha! I'd rather they put $1 a week into a piggy bank and just wait until the difference is made up. If I recall correctly, wasn't there an OKC centric show on OETA where Couch intimated that the bridge wouldn't be built for 20 or 25 years? Maybe that was the beeping sound warning of this impending regression. So.... yeah. Lame.

I'm not sure, in this economy, how construction costs double. I thought one of the reasons Larry Nichols had workers on the tower all shifts was to take advantage of the decreased costs we are currently experiencing.

Is steel any higher than it was at the time this project was planned? Certainly labor costs must be lower or the same. I'm wondering if the previous assessments were optimistic rather than realistic.

Regardless, people are going to be unhappy. If the city said it was going to build the bridge as planned regardless of cost, we'd have a different set of people outraged from the group outraged if we don't spend the money to do it right. Lose-lose.

Anybody surprised in the increase in price hasn't been paying attention to the cost of metals.

They should've paid up for everything in place. :-/

I totally agree Thunder. Why didn't they go ahead and buy the materials while the costs where historically low, store it somewhere and then wait and install once ODOT was ready with the road???????

AND while we're at it and talking about the Ford Center, why did they have to scale it back? I know the tax receipts were down, but I thought the Practice Facility costs were down in reciprical, basically meaning the loss in tax was made up by loser cost to the Practice Facility. If this is true, then shouldn't the Ford Center be built as promised????

OMG - OKC city government is really losing out on trust here. I hope this doesn't end up hurting future MAPS votes. .. (I know this bridge isn't part of MAPs, but it WILL be connected to it and if the bridge isn't built as was promised it will cast doubt against future MAPS or tax increases).....

I don't know about storage for the materials, but they could've paid the companies upfront for these orders and only deliver when ready. OKC failed and hardcore at that.

Devon obviously bought and stored materials for their skyscraper construction.

Why didn't OKC for this bridge, for Ford Center?

trussed bridge=boring. I can't even conceptualize something on top bc trusses are about symmetry. We need renderings/elevations. Help us out Steve/someone. This could be a disaster!

The price doubled because the designers didn't design the bridge within the stated budget to begin with. They designed a bridge that they knew they would win the competition with. There was no way that bridge was going to get built for $7 million from the start

Time to re-bid the project. I hate this repeating crap of presenting Design A to win the contest, and then delivering Design B. It is time to tell these companies that when they are awarded the contract, the price is the price. The only reason the price should go up is if the City wishes to change something. I was recently thinking about adding on to the home and noticed one of the contractors tried to slip in a little line about me being responsible for any increase in the cost of materials (upto 25%). That one went in the trash because that told me there was going to be an automatic increase of 25% in my material cost. No thanks - time for a re-bid.

OKC Council to decide on pedestrian bridge cost
By Brian Brus
Oklahoma City reporter
Posted: 06:03 PM Friday, October 22, 2010
Thanks for posting that Journal Record article, Warreng88. Hopefully the Oklahoman will do a timely article before Tuesday ... I'd like to hear and know more before going ballistic about this (which was my initial reaction).

Steve?

Is this the same pedestrian bridge that the city recently applied for a 12 million dollar tiger grant to fund?

My wife and I saw the conceptual model of this bridge along with the new downtown park in the Cox Center on the way to a Thunder game. We both marvelled at the bridge's appearance and how iconic it would be for OKC, it is really sad this project has been scaled back.

Build the bridge the way it was presented. Find a way. It is as simple as that.