My Bridge Travels: A Photolog 1.7

The Third Rail | Location: Charleston, Massachusetts

The 'Third Rail' elements of politics are the most interesting ones. These are the topics that affect large populations and possess the capability to steer a constituency or a state or a nation in a direction, right or left, or right or wrong.

The reason to avoid contact with the third rail during bridge inspections is however understandable. The third rail carries electric current that supplies power to the subway cars. The picture below is one of the 'T' stations from the hi-rail bucket truck a couple of hours before dawn, distinctly showing the third rail.



The Third Rail | Charleston, MA

My Bridge Travels: A Photolog 1.6

No more 'Cold Blue Steel' | Location: Springfield, Massachusetts

The COR-TEN steel, or the weathering steel, forms a protective coating on its surface that has a corrosion retarding effect. The constituents of COR-TEN steel are the usual suspects:

Carbon, Silica, Manganese, Phosphorus, Sulphur, Chromium, Copper, Nickel, Vanadium (only in Grade B)

On the recent inspection of the I-91 Northbound in the city of Springfield (different from the Springfield in The Simpsons), this picture is taken from atop a 20ft ladder looking along the new fascia beam made of COR-TEN steel and added to the first few spans for widening the deck.



No more 'Cold Blue Steel', Springfield, MA

My Bridge Travels: A Photolog 1.5

Beaver Mill | Location: North Adams, Massachusetts

The second destination in the bridge inspection marathon was a though girder bridge on the Beaver Street, just where the road curves in front of the historic Beaver Mill in North Adams. Climbed down ladder once, climbed down ladder twice, and there we were underneath the bridge on the banks of the Hoosic River.

Hoosic River from Beaver Street, North Adams

The bridge is unique in the sense that is skewed, the through girders are not parallel, the sidewalks on both sides are curved and too narrow and too wide in places.

My Bridge Travels: A Photolog 1.4

Three Shades of Blue | Location: Somerset, Massachusetts

The name of the town, Somerset, reminds me of W. Somerset Maugham, whose literary works were introduced to me in high school. While the Fifty Shades triology may be have sold more than 70 million copies worldwide, it is still not on my reading list for spring-summer 2013. However, inspired by the first book's title is the title of this picture of the Braga Bridge (Charles M. Braga Jr. Memorial Bridge), which recently underwent a facelift from its lime green color to the new blue. With the blue waters and the blue skies in the backdrop, it fits the title 'Three Shades of Blue' perfectly.



The Charles M. Braga Jr. Memorial Bridge
(Photo by Peeyush Rohela)

My Bridge Travels: A Photolog 1.3

In Milton, Massachusetts - "Another brick out of the wall"

Just a few years ago, in college, Pink Floyd's song, 'Another Brick in the Wall', resonated often in the lobby of the dorm, especially during the exam time. This track was released in 1979. In contrast, while listening to the news this morning about the rising tensions in the Korean peninsula, I thought how just one brick 'out of the wall' can stir the entire  world.

World affairs and generational music aside, this photo shows a small block of granite at the end of the railing of an arch bridge in Milton, dislodged from its original position. As with many older bridges, even this bridge has a non-standard guard rail transition.

Another Brick out of the Wall
(Photo by a colleague at Alfred Benesch & Co.)

My Bridge Travels: A Photolog 1.2

In Dennis, Massachusetts - "Make a U-Turn where possible!"

The winter in Boston has been long and harsh this year. Cape Cod is nice in the summertime, it is nicer during winters. On a recent bridge inspection assignment in the cape, this picture was taken during lunchtime when the GPS said out loud: "Make a U-Turn where possible!" as my colleague and I drove towards the waterfront to partake the Tuscan pizza.




"Make a U-Turn when possible!"
(Photo by Peeyush Rohela)

My Bridge Travels: A Photolog 1.1

A hike near Mass Pike in Weston, Massachusetts

The Boston metropoliton area was growing in the 1890s leading to spike in water demand. Wachusett dam was built over the Nashua river in 1897 and its reservoir became the source for Weston reservoir, which received water via the 13.5 mile long Weston Aqueduct (reference: MWRA). This picture that I took from over the deck of the 25ft span concrete arch bridge (built 1902) at the junction of the aqueduct and the reservoir provides a magnificent view of the frozen Weston reservoir glistering in the soft winter sunlight.

Weston Reservoir, Ash Street, Massachusetts
(Photo by Peeyush Rohela)