South Grand Island Bridge Concrete Piers

[speakup]

For a few weeks I have been watching as an inspector went up and down each and every concrete pier under the South Grand Island Bridge. He started on the Tonawanda side first then went over to the Grand Island side.

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[FMD]

maybe when the bridge collapses they will pay attention?

[leets]

If you want to live on Grand Island you can pay for your own freekin bridges.

How about this. Instead of paying for them out of gas taxes pay for them from the Grand Island municipal tax collections.

[300miles]

If you want to live on Grand Island you can pay for your own freekin bridges.

How about this. Instead of paying for them out of gas taxes pay for them from the Grand Island municipal tax collections.

I think it would be unfair to imply that only Grand Islanders use the bridges. It's also a highway between the Buffalo metro and Niagara Falls and Ontario.

[Dougles]

If you want to live on Grand Island you can pay for your own freekin bridges.

How about this. Instead of paying for them out of gas taxes pay for them from the Grand Island municipal tax collections.

The last time i drove to NF was on the 190! kinda had too!

[leets]

I think it would be unfair to imply that only Grand Islanders use the bridges. It's also a highway between the Buffalo metro and Niagara Falls and Ontario.

Well then the tolls are a fair way to pay for the bridges since anyone who uses them pays for them.

[300miles]

Well then the tolls are a fair way to pay for the bridges since anyone who uses them pays for them.

I never said they weren't.

[leets]

If you go to the story link it talks about eliminating the tolls.

[300miles]

If you go to the story link it talks about eliminating the tolls.

Yes but the crux of the article is discussing the lack of maintenance for the bridges over the years. When they finally do act to repair them, they must take out new loans (instead of using collected toll monies). While the idea of removing the tolls may be open to debate, the question about where the toll money they already have is being used and why new loans are needed, are thnigs that should be addressed ..

[leets]

Yes but the crux of the article is discussing the lack of maintenance for the bridges over the years. When they finally do act to repair them, they must take out new loans (instead of using collected toll monies). While the idea of removing the tolls may be open to debate, the question about where the toll money they already have is being used and why new loans are needed, are thnigs that should be addressed ..

Bonds are always used for major infrastructure work. People think that they just build this stuff and then from then on it is free. Say the original construction bonds were paid after 30 years. They probably then had to take out new bonds to pay for new repairs to a 30 year old structure. The new bonds were likely 3 times the original cost due to inflation. So new bonds have to be paid off too. To sell bonds you need to show the bond holders where the source of income is coming from to pay the bonds. How many times have these structures been repaved and repainted. who pays for lighting? Who pays for structural inspections? All this comes from tolls.

The tolls pay off the bonds. It is very possible that the tolls are being wasted or sent down state. I would not be in favor of that of course but the amount of work that is indicated by these pictures is not out of the ordinary for a structure this old. They don't have a giant savings account sitting in a bank waiting for maintenance.

It would not be feasible or economically viable to send a repair crew for every crack that occurs. As it is it seems like they are constantly painting these bridges. Ask any engineer and they will tell you that aging steel structures like these in our climate cost a fortune to take care of.


As I said pay for it if you want to use it. Seems fair to me.