The New I35W Bridge

   The new bridge does not make me comfortable.  The old bridge looked flimsy and after time it proved to be flimsy.

The new bridge seems to span so much for a non-suspension concrete structure.  For one, why not more columns?

The columns look sleek, but taper so much.   I watched a tv summary of the construction.  The connection of the box

girders, or lack thereof, makes me uncomfortable.   It seemed to look like the box girders were connected with post

tensioning in the top of the girder.   It seemed to look like the sidewalls and bottom of the girders were formed with

inter connecting friction ends which were also bonded (cemented) together.   So it is probably just me, but using inter

connecting ends with cement on the sidewalls and ends of each box segment seems to be another flimsy design

feature when these items could have been post tensioned too.  Maybe these segments are post tensioned on the sides

and bottom too and I just didn't get it when watching the tv show on the bridge construction.    The segments or box

girder segments looked to be very heavy duty in design and do not come across as a weak point.   So my question

is whether this bridge will hold up to time, weathering, wind, corrosion etc. as well as it is bragged up to do.  My gut

tells me that these untensioned sidewalls and bottoms at the segment ends is leaving alot up to things not decaying

as normal.