The cabled stayed bridge. When done right, it can really transform a skyline and especially look dramatic at night. Under certain conditions, it costs less to build and maintain than a suspension bridge, something to do with maximum road segment length. But it seems many of these projects are plagued with cost overruns. Rusted supports, salt water eating away. If they're supposed to save money, you wouldn't be able to tell based on news headlines. See eastern segment of the Bay Bridge.

If you travel around the world and return home only to see none, you wonder where are my taxes going? Why isn't the infrastructure being updated? Of course it makes no sense to tear down an old bridge and put up a new one just for the sake of it, but NYC, for example, has some pretty old, ugly looking bridges that must cost a pretty penny to maintain. The pigeon droppings alone costs a substantial amount to clean. The Williamsburg. The Manhattan. They just look... old.

The first cable stayed bridge in the US was built in Washington in the late 70s. Tampa has a stunning one. Boston's was finished 13 years ago. The one in Delaware is over 20 years old. Oakland has a new bridge to rival the GG. There are about 30 in the US. There are at least 60 in China alone and there are some stunning ones around the world. One of the bridges below is Calatrava's, but his projects tend to go over budget.

The NYC metro area is finally getting two. There are currently two in existence, but they're pedestrian bridges, at Rockefeller University and the Intrepid, that's it. You have the new Goethels and the Tappan Zee replacement, which 44 fast tracked because the TPZ was literally falling apart with holes and way over its 50 year shelf life and built to bear a lighter load than it does now. I guess that's not uncommon, we wait until the last minute or an accident to do something.

Who knows how much the final tally will be, but at least it's a sign we're updating our infrastructure. The new TPZ (The New NY Bridge? Hope it gets a more original name) has a pedestrian roadway, you'll finally be able to cross the Hudson on foot or bike from Nyack to Tarrytown. For 4 billion, there better be one.

http://www.johnweeks.com/cablestay/index.html

The C&D

Cooper River Bridge

On a totally unrelated note since we're speaking about infrastructure: