Just found a great blog site, happypontist.blogspot.com, from a bridge designer in the UK. He has lots of really interesting stuff to say about the Calgary Peace bridge.
My summary of what this guy says about the Peace bridge project is that:
- The architecture fee is higher than normal, but if the cost estimate is correct, it will be a good value overall.
- This project is complicated and an overrun is very possible.
- He also talked about the bidding process, and mentioned that a full blown competition would be an expensive waste of time, but an invite among a few qualified bidders would be the normal preffered aproach.
Link about the released design:
http://happypontist.blogspot.com/2009/07/calatrava-springs-surprise.html
What he said last year about the competition process (or lack thereof) in Calgary:
http://happypontist.blogspot.com/2008/09/calgary-calatrava-or-competition_18.html
Also, he has a link to the following City of Calgary cost comparison document, saying the costs presented are fair:
http://www.calgary.ca/docgallery/bu/transportation_infrastructure/bow_river_pedestrian_bridge/bridge_cost_comparisons.pdf
However he also points out that:
Quote:
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given how astoundingly inefficient a helical truss will be at 130m span (pity Calatrava's poor local partner, Stantec, whose job it will be to make it stand up), Calgarians shouldn't take budget assurances at face value just yet.
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Finally. A nice balanced view of the project from someone who gunuinely
seems to know what they are talking about!
Why is it that the best information about this project comes from some blogger in the UK? Wouldn't it be nice if our newspapers contained half of the information this guy's website has?