Principal Riverwalk

[Better Life dude]

I agree with BLD on this one.....it is a "follow the money" issue.

See... I knew we could find common ground somewhere Mirage1. I guess we should next get together so I can buy you a round of your favorite beverage.

[Ingersoll1978]

I dunno...I'm not worried about it. If there was a major problem, it would be reported by the local media. I doubt the media is in cahoots with Principal to protect their "image." If that was the case, there wouldn't be no stories about layoffs or other negative press. All these projects take patience...and this one is demanding a lot of it!

[Mastermind]

To put this in perspective, the bids for the bridge went out in 2006. In December 2006 Wellmark announced they were building downtown...

[dogbo]

I dunno...I'm not worried about it. If there was a major problem, it would be reported by the local media. I doubt the media is in cahoots with Principal to protect their "image." If that was the case, there wouldn't be no stories about layoffs or other negative press. All these projects take patience...and this one is demanding a lot of it!

I'm with you Ingersoll. Can we pls leave the conspiracy theories to Oliver Stone?

[Better Life dude]

I dunno...I'm not worried about it. If there was a major problem, it would be reported by the local media. I doubt the media is in cahoots with Principal to protect their "image." If that was the case, there wouldn't be no stories about layoffs or other negative press. All these projects take patience...and this one is demanding a lot of it!

I'm with you Ingersoll. Can we pls leave the conspiracy theories to Oliver Stone?

No. I'm sticking with my theory. It's no big deal if there's a $$$ problem - or whatever the problem is. Just be more forthcoming about the real cause for the delays.

[DMRyan]

Why would the media or anyone else involved with this project besides Principal care if it were reported that the bridge needed more money? I'm really failing to draw a connection at this grasp at straws theory. It's not like Principal owns the riverwalk or is continiously chipping in more funds to see its completion. Principal has made their donation already, and now provides the leadership experience to keep things moving on the project--nothing more. It didn't give them a bad name when the scope/cost of the project grew by three times, with local leaders committed to lining up at the congressional trough every year to take back their piece of federal funding to see the completion of this project.

I'll ask the question of the head engineer for this project on Monday on what the status of the bridge is.

[Better Life dude]

I'll ask the question of the head engineer for this project on Monday on what the status of the bridge is.

Thank you.

[MrMafia]

I am twiddling my thumbs waiting for the answer as to when this is going to pick up again....

[econboy]

So is the bridge still a go or not??

(I get the feeling some here are assuming it's in trouble.)

[JMsioux]

It could realistically be materials related, too. I'm assuming that there are cables used in the bridge and not steel rods. In the past at my old job, we were reliant on cable in about 40% of our business and sometimes there were mass shortages of the larger sizes or its associated fittings and since this would be bridge strand rather than EHS, it likely will come from Canada. There may also be issues with the curved steel arch pieces at the fabrication plant. It's hard to say but I'd hedge my bet on materials rather than strictly $$$, although steel prices have fluctuated wildly in recent years. Some steel is much harder to come by than others and engineers can sometimes forget that a certain grade or size of steel isn't rolled but once or twice per year at a mill. Coming from a steel-based industry, I can certainly see this being a steel-related delay. FWIW

[Mastermind]

I think most agree it is a materials issue, however, this is getting ridiculous.

[DMRyan]

Per the City Engineer charged with overseeing the public portions of the riverwalk project, the bridge is fully funded. This is entirely an issue with the guys fabricating the metal, and it sounds like the same story for when the metal is expected (any day now, but it's contingent upon the steel fabricators not making additional mistakes).

[Better Life dude]

Thank you Ryan. Now we just continue to wait.

[hawk61401]

Per the City Engineer charged with overseeing the public portions of the riverwalk project, the bridge is fully funded. This is entirely an issue with the guys fabricating the metal, and it sounds like the same story for when the metal is expected (any day now, but it's contingent upon the steel fabricators not making additional mistakes).

This is unbelievable. Over six months ago the completion date was set back to summer of 2009 because of fabrication problems. In most jobs, if you keep making mistakes or can't get it right for over six months, you're fired. Is Arup the firm that designed the bridge? http://www.arup.com/

I can't find anything on their site about the Des Moines bridge.

[speeder]

hope it was a lump-sum contract...

[Better Life dude]

Here's the link to the original post on this thread talking about who the engineers are: Arup. I'm sure it's not their fault for all the delay - judging from all the engineering work they've done worldwide. They specialize in non-rectangular structures. For them, the curvier the better.
From August 25th, 2007:
http://absolutedsm.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40&p=46085&hilit=arup#p46085

[DMRyan]

WHO TV reported tonight that the contractor expects the first wave of steel arriving next Friday, although they mentioned he isn't holding his breath.

The contract for this bridge is causing a $1,000 per day fine for Arup Corp, for every day they continue to be late on this project.

[Mototail]

This would come into the project management category. I remember when the contractors were building the MLK extension that they were getting fined for being behind as well. At least they have somewhat of an idea of were thing are headed.

[hawk61401]

WHO TV reported tonight that the contractor expects the first wave of steel arriving next Friday, although they mentioned he isn't holding his breath.

The contract for this bridge is causing a $1,000 per day fine for Arup Corp, for every day they continue to be late on this project.

A $1,000 per day fine for Arup is hardly worth a sneeze. This is a company that builds cities in China and skyscrapers in South America.

I wonder where our bridge is on Arups' pecking order. They completed a building six months ahead of schedule in the Port of Brisbane several years ago. I would bet it's not the first project completed ahead of schedule. But here we sit at their mercy.

[IowaNomad]

Well lets hope they are a year behind schedule and then we spend the extra $365,000 on another project. We may have found a nice revenue stream for new projects

[DMRyan]

They've had workers pretty busy on the site over the past few days, hopefully in anticipation that the steel is coming. They're getting all the equipment and barges hoisted into place on the river and bringing in extra cranes currently.

Could it finally be?

[hawk61401]

That's encouraging news, Ryan. I'm rrrrready to see the biggest new icon of Des Moines come to completion.



attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jordansphotos/464860989/

[hawk61401]

Yesterday, I was walking the riverwalk. I looked at Joe Shapiro's "Untitled" sculpture in front of City Hall.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/swilton/2550215605/

The sculpture and artist reminded me of Joe Shapiro's sculpture entitled "Loss and Regeneration" at the Holocaust Museum and the tragic event of yesterday. It is a sculpture in memory of the children who perished in the Holocaust.


attributed to: http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/wash ... apiro.html


More about Shapiro's scultpure at the Holocaust Museum: http://www.ushmm.org/museum/a_and_a/art1/

[MrMafia]

So did the bridge get the stuff it needed? Or are we going to rename this bridge the D.I.B. Des Moines's Imaginary Bridge?

[Lost Planet]

Looks like there is actually some progress being done on the pedestrian bridge. The walkway is already almost halfway across the river. Here's a crappy cell phone photo taken today at lunchtime:

ATT00001.jpg

[Better Life dude]

Yeah!!!!!!

[MrMafia]

http://www.kcci.com/entertainment/19781077/detail.html


CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES! FALL 2009 OPENING EXPECTED!

[Better Life dude]

I went by the site after work tonight. It looks like the assembly would go pretty quickly - like putting Lego pieces together. The south walkway is almost all the way across the river to the west riverbank already. The steel is painted an ivory color. Not my first choice for color - but I'm sure it will look very nice when completed.

[MrMafia]

lol ok im going to put money down 75% of the men here do not know what "ivory" in color is.

We know Red Blue Green Yellow Pink Purple and Tan.

[Better Life dude]

lol ok im going to put money down 75% of the men here do not know what "ivory" in color is.

We know Red Blue Green Yellow Pink Purple and Tan.

In a former career, I was a residential interior designer. For me ivory is one of about a dozen shades of white.