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.