Exactly, hence why YNAT made that exact analogy 2 posts ago
Does Rick Bell's garbage really appeal to anyone? Does it sell papers? I mean, the guy has been spewing spin for umpteen years and still he is a mainstay for the Sun, but I just can't seem to wrap my head around it.
Anyone know if the form is in place yet? Last I read it should be in by now, with pourings starting in the coming weeks.
I'm not a Sun reader but Bell has done some good things in terms of investigative journalism. He uncovered the city auditor issues a few years ago for example, and when he does things like that he often doesn't get the credit. Part of the reason is his use of "silly hall" and things like it. I've talked to him myself and seen him speak....honestly he has a lot more to say than you might expect. I know I was much more impressed than where I expected to be.
No, that doesn't mean he got things right in this tunnel article (I didn't read it/watch it). I just think he is a little better than people give him credit for.
I'm not a Sun reader but Bell has done some good things in terms of investigative journalism. He uncovered the city auditor issues a few years ago for example, and when he does things like that he often doesn't get the credit. Part of the reason is his use of "silly hall" and things like it. I've talked to him myself and seen him speak....honestly he has a lot more to say than you might expect. I know I was much more impressed than where I expected to be.
No, that doesn't mean he got things right in this tunnel article (I didn't read it/watch it). I just think he is a little better than people give him credit for.
He may have some good work, but this article we are talking about it's almost certain that Bell is intentionally trying to mislead the public.
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He may have some good work, but this article we are talking about it's almost certain that Bell is intentionally trying to mislead the public.
And he does it all the time. Well, maybe I should admit that I only read his crap once or twice a year, but every time I do, he's spinning something ass backwards as though he's just trying to keep his fans happy (or mad, rather).
It's like the guy's whole purpose in life is to feed the low IQs with more stuff to complain about, the facts be damned.
It's pretty pathetic, really. He reminds me of one of those people that'll jump on any conspiracy theory bandwagon they hear about.
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^The thing is that if Rick Bell weren't around or retired tomorrow, it would just be someone else with the same bent taking up his column space in Calgary's second-most-read and third-rate daily. He/she might use some other terms than Silly Hall and different nicknames than "Bronco with a Beard," "Little Johnny Mar," and what have you, but the general direction of the spin would be the same.
Also, just noticed today that the graphic of the city's website that shows which sections are completed has been updated to show where the runway and taxiways go over top.
EDIT: apparently the image is a lot larger than it shows up on the city's webpage.
Spoiler!
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Location: Close enough to make a beer run during a TV timeout
Exp:
From the PDF in YNaT's link:
Each tunnel section is approximately 12 metres long and requires 850
cubic metres of concrete. It takes 80 trucks to deliver this concrete in
a 12-hour period. That works out to over 200 cubic metres of concrete
every day for the next 7 months.
I've heard a lot of people ask why it costs so much to "build a ditch." With 50 of these sections, that's over 42,000 cubic metres of concrete; or 4000 truckloads. Puts it into perspective.
Each tunnel section is approximately 12 metres long and requires 850
cubic metres of concrete. It takes 80 trucks to deliver this concrete in
a 12-hour period. That works out to over 200 cubic metres of concrete
every day for the next 7 months.
I've heard a lot of people ask why it costs so much to "build a ditch." With 50 of these sections, that's over 42,000 cubic metres of concrete; or 4000 truckloads. Puts it into perspective.
Yup, its a whole lot of concrete. Your math doesn't include the footings either (since they would be poured previously). All together there is 60,000 cubic metres of concrete for the project.
The excavation was, for the most part, done entirely into bedrock as well. Plus, tunnels have to be ventilated, lit, fire protection systems, and they still have to have storm drains, etc.
I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a site tour of the RFP/IFP/Tunnel projects last week. I figured you guys wouldn't mind seeing some pictures of it!
It's really hard to fathom the size of this whole project until you're driving around the runway site and all you can see around is earth moving equipment and dirt as far as you can see. I couldn't get close enough to the IFP to get a good picture, but the forest of columns seemed to go for forever. It seems so huge compared to the rest of the airport.
No pictures of the runway earthworks in general because it would be hard to show anything particularly interesting. It's just a ton of dirt being moved all over the freaking place.
Photos are spoilered for huge/lazy.
Spoiler!
All pictures by me. Taken on my iPhone 4, if you're wondering about the low quality of some of them.
This should be the Taxiway J underpass construction. Pretty damn close to those tanks!
The control tower is getting pretty close to the top!
Taxiway F tunnel. You can see the two different roads being built under it here. One is private, one is public.
More Taxiway F.
The first bit of runway is getting the base done!
Looking down the runway towards the Airport Trail tunnel. Those wires will be covered in about 16 inches of concrete.
The view of the first 300m or so runway taking shape. About 4km to go!
On a slightly amusing note, this is the legendary proof roller. Yes, it's out of place here.
A section of the Airport Trail tunnel nearing completion before being backfilled.
Looking East from the last shot.
Looking West. They were pouring concrete when we were there, so we couldn't go any closer to the tunnel than the top of the sideslopes.
The best view I could get inside.
What the majority of the completed pour looks like.
Pouring a new section of the tunnel.
The remainder of the West side of the tunnel to be made.
The slip forms are on rails to be moved easily to the next section. The rounded corners apparently help deflect explosive energy back downwards.
The remainder of the East side of the tunnel trench.
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The city did a report to determine whether Metis trail could be downgraded to an arterial road instead of a skeletal road based on the Airport Trail tunnel being there, and found that it could. This downgrade will save the city $244 million over ~30 years.
This will likely mean that Metis Trail will end up with additional intersections at 104th Ave, 88th Ave, and a right in right out to southbound Metis at 72nd Ave. Also, Metis will only get interchanges at 64th Ave and at 96th Ave/Airport Trail - and not at 80th Ave, Country Hills Blvd, and 128th Ave.
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The city did a report to determine whether Metis trail could be downgraded to an arterial road instead of a skeletal road based on the Airport Trail tunnel being there, and found that it could. This downgrade will save the city $244 million over ~30 years.
This will likely mean that Metis Trail will end up with additional intersections at 104th Ave, 88th Ave, and a right in right out to southbound Metis at 72nd Ave. Also, Metis will only get interchanges at 64th Ave and at 96th Ave/Airport Trail - and not at 80th Ave, Country Hills Blvd, and 128th Ave.
Makes sense. Don't think Metis trail will ever have the need to be a freeway road with Deerfoot and Stoney in the NE.
Makes sense. Don't think Metis trail will ever have the need to be a freeway road with Deerfoot and Stoney in the NE.
I don't think so either. Not with Airport Trail going in.
Absolute worst case even with the switch is that they eventually build the interchanges anyway (which shouldn't be impossible since they are keeping all of the required land that would be needed - since for the most part, it's already collected). But I think that that's very unlikely. Like you say, with Stoney and Deerfoot to handle N/S traffic, and Airport Trail and McKnight as freeway links joining them, it should be able to handle quite a bit of traffic.
I still laugh at the people who called the tunnel a "tunnel to nowhere." Metis Trail and Country Hills Blvd are roads leading to that same nowhere and are quite busy. Did I mention that there is about 9 sections worth of land inside of the ring road that has yet to be developed in the NE area? (about the some amount of space that is bounded by downtown in the north, Glenmore in the south, Crowchild Trail in the west and Blackfoot Trail in the East)
^ That Metis classification alone justifies the cost of tunnel and associated interchanges, and is a much bigger benefit to the network and facilitates an LRT connection.
Now Metis and Country Hills will be much better streets to develop on rather than being expressways.
__________________
Trust the snake.
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^ That Metis classification alone justifies the cost of tunnel and associated interchanges, and is a much bigger benefit to the network and facilitates an LRT connection.
Now Metis and Country Hills will be much better streets to develop on rather than being expressways.
Yeah, the additional intersections at 104th and 88th will increase the connectivity between the commercial/retail and the residential areas on either side of Metis.
I think it's probably saving at least as much money on Country Hills Blvd as well, perhaps even more, as I'm not sure that CHB as an arterial would be able to handle the traffic required without Airport Trail. I'm quite certain they would have been spending big bucks trying to fix it in the future.
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