Cincykidbc1

Channel 9 I-TEAM report on the Paddock bridge. Very sad. ( The story is in dialogue so it looks kind of crappy. You can also follow the link at the bottom). Reported/Produced by: Hagit Limor Photographed by: Anthony Mirones Updated: 02/13/05 22:27:10 (Brian Patrick on set) SOMETIMES THE BEST INTENTIONS FALL FLAT. (Julie O'Neal on set) BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR TAX DOLLARS; YOU DON'T WANT ANY WASTE. BUT THAT'S JUST WHAT THE I-TEAM'S HAGIT LIMOR MAY HAVE FOUND. (Hagit Limor on set) IT'S A BIG SHAME. EVERYONE CALLS A NEW BRIDGE INTO THE CITY OF CINCINNATI "EXCEPTIONAL", EVEN "BEAUTIFUL". BUT WHILE BRIDGES ARE SUPPOSED TO LAST UP TO 100 YEARS, THIS ONE'S FACING THREATS EVEN BEFORE ITS FINAL WALK-THROUGH INSPECTION. (Hagit Limor narration) IT GREETS YOU AS YOU DRIVE I-75 INTO THE CITY OF CINCINNATI. (Michael Ciotola on videotape) "It's a beautiful new bridge." (Hagit Limor narration) A NEW BRIDGE THAT'S ALREADY WON A NATIONAL ARCHITECTURAL AWARD. (Evelyn Osborne on videotape) "I think it's very pretty." (Hagit Limor narration) IT COST FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. (Ray McDaniel on videotape) "It's a nice bridge, well worth it." (Hagit Limor narration) BUT NOW, IT MAY HAVE TO GO. (Joe Vogel on videotape) "It would be a huge shame." (Hagit Limor narration) AND A HUGE WASTE OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS. YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE WHY SOMETHING GOOD COULD CAUSE SOMETHING BAD, AS THE I-TEAM ASKS: (Hagit Limor on videotape) "Do you understand why some people consider this project a waste of money?" (Hagit Limor narration) EVELYN OSBORNE PEERS OUT HER KITCHEN WINDOW AND SMILES AT THE VIEW. (Evelyn Osborne on videotape) "I'm very proud of that. I call it my bridge." (laughs) (Hagit Limor narration) THAT'S BECAUSE SHE SUFFERED THROUGH MORE THAN A YEAR AS WORKERS BUILT IT. (Osborne on videotape) "Seemed like an eternity. If you wanted to sleep in, you could forget that 'cause the pounding, it even shaked our windows." (Hagit Limor narration) BUT OSBORNE LOVES THE RESULT, AND SO DOES THE CITY OF CINCINNATI. (Joe Vogel, City Engineer on videotape) "Clearly, it's a beautiful bridge. We wanted to make a statement as people come into the city. This is a gateway to Cincinnati." (Hagit Limor narration) AND THAT'S WHY WE SPENT SO MUCH TO BUILD IT. BUT NOW, EVEN BEFORE THE FINAL WALK-THROUGH COMPLETING THIS PROJECT, ANOTHER PROJECT MIGHT THREATEN THE BRIDGE. (Hagit Limor narration) IT'S CALLED "THROUGH THE VALLEY." THE PLAN IS TO WIDEN I-75 TO RELIEVE THE DAILY CONGESTION AND GRIDLOCK. (Michael Ciotola/Project Manager on videotape) "The project stretches from Paddock Road to 275, about seven miles." (Hagit Limor narration) PADDOCK ROAD? BUT ISN'T THAT WHERE WE JUST BUILT THE BRIDGE? DOES THIS LOOK LIKE ENOUGH ROOM FOR ANY MORE LANES? EVEN THE PROJECT MANAGER THE STATE HIRED TO OVERSEE THE ROAD WIDENING NOTICED A PROBLEM THE FIRST TIME HE DROVE IN FROM COLUMBUS. (Michael Ciotola on videotape) "Coming down through here seeing that bridge, it's a pretty nice bridge. Then I started looking at the width and then I started having some questions." (Hagit Limor narration) HE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE. (Ray McDaniel on videotape) "The bridge doesn't fit the project." (Hagit Limor narration) RAY MCDANIEL SPENT TWENTY YEARS AS AN OHIO DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION INSPECTOR. HE'S SO UPSET HE SHOWED UP AT THIS HEARING EXPLAINING THE I-75 EXPANSION TO COMPLAIN TO THE PROJECT MANAGER. (Ray McDaniel on videotape) "He told me, 'Yea, you're right. It will have to come down.' And that's a lot of moolah, a lot of money, waste of taxpayers' money." (Evelyn Osborne on videotape) "To know that they may have to tea some of that down just kills me because you know, that's just a waste of money." (Jay Hamilton/ODOT Planning Engineer on videotape) "If we have to go anything beyond four lanes, I can really understand why they would see it as being a waste of money." (Hagit Limor narration) JAY HAMILTON IS THE AREA PLANNING ENGINEER FOR ODOT, WHICH WORKED ON THE BRIDGE AND WILL WORK ON THE I-75 PROJECT. HE SAYS PLANS FOR THE BRIDGE STARTED IN '95. (Jay Hamilton on videotape) "At the time we didn't have any idea that we were going to get any funding for any of the widening to 75." (Hagit Limor) "So it seemed like a good idea at the time?" (Hamilton) "Oh yeah, yeah." (Hagit Limor narration) SO WHAT CAN WE DO NOW? WHILE INITIAL ANALYSIS SHOWED I-75 NEEDS TO EXPAND BY TWO LANES, TO A TOTAL OF FIVE IN EACH DIRECTION, THE STATE IS CONSIDERING PUNTING BACK TO FOUR. (Jay Hamilton on videotape) "We could squeeze a fourth lane in each direction under the bridge." (Hagit Limor narration) BUT AT THE COST OF SCULPTING OUT THE BOTTOM 14 FEET OF THE DECORATIVE SUPPORT COLUMNS, TO STILL END UP WITH VERY NARROW SHOULDERS, ONLY FOUR TO SIX FEET WIDE INSTEAD OF THE STANDARD TWELVE FEET. YOU'D HATE TO BREAK DOWN HERE. EVEN WORSE, THE SOLUTION MIGHT COST MORE GRIDLOCK. THE STATE HAS A SYSTEM TO GRADE HOW WELL ROADS HANDLE TRAFFIC, A TO F. A IS AWESOME; F MEANS GRIDLOCK. WITH FIVE LANES, WE'D SCORE A "D", MEANING THE ROAD IS FULL BUT YOU CAN DRIVE AT ALMOST THE POSTED SPEED. AT FOUR LANES, WE MIGHT CROSS INTO LEVEL "E", MEANING YOU HAVE TO REDUCE SPEED. DO WE REALLY WANT TO SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND YEARS OF ORANGE BARRELS TO GET ONE LEVEL ABOVE "F"? (Jay Hamilton on videotape) "It would definitely have to be a consideration. It may be that they decide they want to do the five lanes, and if we have to go anything beyond four lanes, then the bridge does have to be replaced." (Ciotola on videotape) "Obviously we would love to come up with something that doesn't require that. It would be a shame to have to reconstruct that bridge that just got finished and opened not too long ago." (Hagit Limor narration) THE CITY ECHOES THAT THOUGHT. (Joe Vogel on videotape) "We love that bridge. We really do." (Hagit Limor narration) CITY ENGINEER JOE VOGEL SAYS A NEW BRIDGE SHOULD LAST FROM FIFTY TO ONE-HUNDRED YEARS. (Joe Vogel on videotape) "And there are a lot of times we build things we think are going to be around a long time, and other forces come into play and change the equation. Unfortunately that does happen, but you know, we try to plan the best we can, but we don't have a crystal ball." (Hagit Limor narration) VOGEL AND ODOT'S HAMILTON STILL HOPE THE FOUR-LANE SOLUTION WORKS. BUT EITHER SET OF COSTS RANKLE EVELYN OSBORNE. (Evelyn Osborne on videotape) "That's just money down the tube." (Hagit Limor on set) ODOT SAYS SHAVING THE DECORATIVE COLUMNS TO FIT IN A FOURTH LANE WOULD COST LESS THAN $100,000. THE BIGGER ISSUE IS THE SLOWER TRAFFIC FLOW THAN FIVE LANES WOULD ALLOW. THE STATE STILL IS MULLING OVER THAT ISSUE. (Brian Patrick on set) HOW LONG MIGHT THAT TAKE? (Hagit Limor on set) IT COULD BE THIS YEAR OR NEXT. THE ROAD WORK ISN'T SET TO START FOR FIVE YEARS... SO WE'LL GET AT LEAST THAT MUCH TIME OUT OF OUR GATEWAY BRIDGE. Here's the link: http://www.wcpo.com/wcpo/localshows/iteam/22a4fe01.html

Freedom across the galaxy!!! I like it!!! Maybe they should have built it UNDERGROUND. I'm sorry, that was mean. :evil: :-D

I would have to disagree. The more green the better I say. I would love to see a huge patch of green when I cross the Brent Spence. Besides, they're evidently having a hell of a time locking up tenants or whatever as it is now. why over-extend themselves. So many people are negative about Cincinnati filling office space and such, it seems odd that some of you guys would want them to build more space that could possibly be empty some day. I myself am confident about the developement. I just don't understand how it takes up to 12 months to design a freaking parking garage. Granted the design of the top of the garage depends on whats going to go there, but is it possible to start construction now, and then by the time they reach the top the design will be done. Aren't the bottom of all parking garages pretty much similar?

I'm going to take a very long nap. Someone wake me up in 30 years when this bridge is finally finished and already out-dated. :sleep:

My question is 'Is it really that necessary?'. I live in Carthage a 1/4 mile from the Mill Creek and haven't seen it flood once in the last 2 years. Now, I don't cross over it everyday, so I guess it could have flooded without me knowing it, but it can't flood all that often but who know's.(I'm not the expert)

Here's a link to WCPO's Skycam. It's not always pointing in the right direction to see QCS, but most of the time it is. It looks like the parking garage is pretty much finished. http://www.wcpo.com/weather/skycam/

ESPN ZONE would be perfect. PLANET HOLLYWOOD would be nice too ( but probably a pipe dream ) but you never know, with the crowd's before and after games,it might be hard to pass up.

I'm not an expert on environmental studies so help me out here. Does it really take 5 years to do an environmental study or is this kinda like a job security thing?

Looks nice ( colors clash a little though ). What exactly does 'mixed income' mean? Does this include the ever popular section 8? Cause I gotta tell you, if it includes Section 8 their gonna have a hard time finding good hard-working people to buy those homes.

^Ahh.

^ Who are they?

^ Damn!! I see what your talking about. Dummy me. :stupid: On the rendering I thought that was supposed to be a reflection. I take it that it's for ventilation but looking at the facade in your picture, it's kinda ghetto. Maybe it will look better when it's all together. I was hoping that the garage would be covered in glass also, but I guess the ventilation bill would get pretty high.

Thanks for the picks Ronnie. 'jmeck', throw me a bone here. Did you at least like the Sports Bar idea? Please? God I hope they build more than one every 15 years. You've got me depressed now. I'm going to go put my diaper on.

I really don't see anything wrong with Phase 1. It could have been a lot worse. Looking at the renderings of Phase 1 & 2, it doesn't appear to me that they have settled for the 'next best thing' or something second rate like we are so used to seeing here in Cincinnati. Phase 1 looks fine to me, I'm not going to be picky. I like Phase 2 also. I don't care if it doesn't match the current skyline one bit. It's the 21st century. Lets move on. It seems like forever since they build a tower downtown, and the fact that it will be the tallest makes me happy no matter what it looks like. By the way, does anyone have a picture of this facade that you guys are talking about? I won't be able to get down there for another couple weeks. Anyway, I don't totally agree with the train wreck theory. If you look at the rendering for Phase 1, it makes it look like there is a BIG open space in front of the building. As most of you know this is not the case. The only thing in front of this building is an overpass or two, so IMHO this wouldn't be the prime spot for retail anyway. I could see a Sports Bar or Tavern on the Sycamore Street side to go along with the In-Between Tavern across the Street. And maybe a couple restaurants on the 4th Street side, but no retail. 3rd street is dead now, but if they ever get around to putting the coverings on Fort Washington Way and get The Banks going ( I know, I'm dreaming ) that would really put a charge into 3rd street. There is also more property on 3rd street that should be replaced with mid-rise condos instead of even thinking of more office space. Thats all I got, gotta go.

^ I didn't notice it either, and I walked right by it last Thursday.

Restaurants and Bowling Alleys 'yes'. Just for the simple reason that children are in attendance, and I think most smokers would agree ( except the ones that don't have kids ). But it wouldn't go over very well with Bars and Clubs. A lot of people like to smoke while they drink. Their thinking might end up being that if they can't smoke at a Bar or Club, then they'll just attend a private party or stay at home where they can smoke. The city may have to limit this one to just Bowling Alleys. At the rate this city is passing these kind of laws, I will be BANNED from living within city limits. And I'm a NON- smoking Heterosexual Male. :(

The easy answer to all this is flying cars. :stupid: [/u]