Dallas Council OK's $7.1 Million Fix for McDermott Bridge, But Wants Trinity Group to Fund

The Dallas City Council on Wednesday approved spending around $7.1 million to finally, one day, open the hike-and-bike sections of the $115-million Margaret McDermott Bridge. But several council members hope someone else will foot the bill. That $7.1-million price tag is what TxDOT says it will cost to replace 196 cable and anchors that attach architect Santiago Calatrava's arches to the pier-and-beam concrete bridge over the Trinity River. Engineers first noticed a snapped cable in 2016, and became concerned one could whip into oncoming vehicular traffic.Ever since, City Hall, TxDOT and Huitt-Zollars (the engineer of record) have squared off in a prolonged bout of finger-pointing between over who bears responsibility for the failings of the project, which the city decided in 2013 to "value engineer" to save a few million dollars. Because there remains a risk that more cables could snap, the bridge's pedestrian and cycling paths have been blocked by signs marked "DANGER" and "No Trespassing."Council has been told that repairs could take around three years, but that it's possible the paths could open sooner than that.  Continue reading...