Mr. Samar Gogoi, Structural Engineer and our own
Treasurer of Assam Society of America, has saved a
historic bridge in Bellevue, Nebraska. This is one of
the oldest bridges in Nebraska and also has lots of
historic significance. This has not only helped
taxpayer's lots of money, also kept this historic
structure alive.
According to the Bellevue Leader (Wednesday, October
22, 2003), Samar Gogoi, structural project manager for
TranSystems Corporation in Omaha announced the
findings of a study about the bridge's condition.
Gogoi informed that it would cost about $1.5 million
to fix the 51-year-old Bellevue toll bridge. The
improvements would mean closing it down for three to
six months, and the bridge could last up to another 30
years. Not fixing it means it will last four to five
more years.
The deck of the bridge needs to be replaced. The guard
rails should also be replaced and made so the curb and
guardrails are flush with each other. The substructure
and structural steel needs minor repairs, and the
bearings need maintenance. The deck joints also need
attention because most of them leak. Because of the
nature of repairs they all should be done at the same
time.
Gogoi advised against repainting the bridge because it
would cost $2.6 million to remove the paint and
repaint it. He estimated the bridge was painted 25
years ago, and said the paint most likely contains
lead. He suggested the city not to spend money making
temporary repairs in order to save for paying more
intense repairs.
He also recommended slowing the speed limit from 45 to
25 mph and reducing the load maximum on trucks. Doing
this could buy the city time to find funding for the
repairs.
According to Gogoi, people traveling across the bridge
shouldn't be concerned about the safety of the bridge.
At least for the next few years, even without repairs,
the bridge is safe to drive across, he said.
- Mantu C Baishya, Omaha, Nebraska
- Log in to post comments