what is the inside scoop on big Baltimore bridge crash?

pretty sure that Chinese rig is fully road/rail(and even air) mobile and thus composed of fairly small parts. Probably better to rig something out of much bigger industrial barges as featured in the Blondie video. Should stand up to heavy traffic in an open ocean facing application. I've seen similar floating around all over in SF Bay Area so I assume they are everywhere.

 

It is not up to DOT standards, so it is a moot point. They could be allowed during a disaster for evacuation or supplies, but not for regular traffic.

 

If they needed a temp bridge they would opt for a ferry or two first . A temp Bailey Bridge could be installed but then you would shut down the port . We are no longer a can do country , we are a will do country only after an Eviro study and everyone involved in the process makes some money with the exception of the labor .

 

What large car ferrys are currently available for charter or purchase? What ferry landings would/could be used? How would being able to move maybe a couple hundred vehicles an hour compare to the thousands an hour the bridge was supporting?

 

They would only move necessary traffic with a ferry , a ferry landing would / could be built quickly if they needed it , they would shut ferry service down somewhere if they needed too , and you don't need a large ferry . Car traffic is a long term problem and it will be or has been rerouted , and work itself out for the most part . People will find new jobs or move closer to work .

 

mmkay. I take it you are not too familiar with large ferry operations nor the Baltimore beltway system.

 

I am not familiar with the Baltimore beltway system , but I do know what is involved in building a bridge . If they can't find an Engineer to sign off on the old piles and caps they will not rebuild to the old design , it will be demoed . I would be surprised if they find someone to sign off , and I would be surprised if the politics for a new bridge have not already won the day . If they fast track a new design I would say 5 years plus or minus , I personally think you will see a new cable stay bridge with traffic on it in 8 to 10 years . If there is need for a hazardous material route they may put a small ferry , they are not going to place a temp span there .

 

Austell sold the two super ferries they built in Mobile to the Feds around 2010 , unless they have converted or scrapped them that would be where I looked for a spare ferry if I needed one .

 

When similar happened to the Tasman Bridge over the Derwent River in Hobart in the mid 70s there was chaos for some time, but governments were less procrastinating back then; and ferries plus a Bailey Bridge were soon in place. The bridge was repairable and stands today.

 

lol. Wrong ferry type entirely (designed for high speed and longer distance) and long gone. But I've only been closely involved in ferry operations worldwide for 37 years....still a lot to learn.

I think you might have confused/conflated the Alaska Super Ferries, that were built by Derecktor, with any built by Austal USA in Mobile.

 

Don't know much about bridges, even less about ferry operations.... but if it takes as long to deliver a bridge as it takes the .gov to make a ferry.... it's gonna be a while.

We've been waiting on a new ferry since 03... state even put money up for it. Every time they allocate the money the price goes up and it gets kicked down the road.

 

Austal built two for Hawaii , and the Hawaii Courts ruled they couldn't be put into service in Hawaii , and they were long distance high speed . One set in Mobile for a couple of years until the Feds bought them . Whatever the fix is for Baltimore,s bridge problem , it will not be a fast one .

 

Your state even bought, for peanuts, an unusual ferry design that the US Navy paid for...and even though the vessel was essentially a gift...the operation never got off the ground.

 

Oh yeah that 12.6 million dollar debacle...

The fast ferries were fun until the oil money ran out.

 

I have video of the one that was actually put in to service in Hawaii. It was a nightmarish ride experience. I'd mercifully forgotten about those. Another of many failed high-speed large ferry operations.

Large conventional ferries don't sit around waiting for a charter opportunity. Pretending for a moment that a couple did exist that were idle, the shoreside infrastructure to support the docking, loading/unloading and extensive parking/holding areas would require a long time to develop....and all for the ability to move a tiny fraction of the traffic that the bridge supported.