Champlain Bridge BM Crown Point

[+jwahl]

I have travelled over this bridge many times en route to visit relatives in VT and Quebec, and it was blown up last week.

 

I thought I would check and see if there were any BM's destroyed.

 

PG1604 seems like a candidate.

 

If it is still there I suspect it is likely to be destroyed soon as demolition of the stone piers and probably abutments will take place to make way for new construction. It may be an interesting one for someone to check out.

 

- jlw

[+Holtie22]

Here's a video of the explosion:

I was going to go watch it, but they kept changing the date. Maybe I can check on the BM.

 

Edit: There is now a new cache to commemorate the demise of the bridge. It doesn't look too good for the nearest BM, but the Crown Point North Base and South Base look very interesting. Can anyone find a USC&GS publication that describes this Baseline?

Edited January 1, 2010 by Holtie22

[+frex3wv]

Well it looks like there was a dnf on PG1604 in 1995 - however as we all know - that doesn't mean much.

 

I presume the demolition company knew that it was supposed to be there and would have been legally responsible for verifying it was there (or not there) and then destroyed (if it was destroyed) - and reporting that to the government. correct?

 

*edited for spelling

Edited January 2, 2010 by frex3wv

[Bill93]

My guess is that there is a slim chance the agency who let the contract took note of ithe mark and either reset it or required the demolition company to avoid destroying it. Very slim.

 

If not in the contract, I doubt the demolition people even knew what it was or that there was anything there.

[+frex3wv]

Bill93 -

 

I guess that confuses me - I mean - its part of the structure - its clear it at least ONCE was there - and - while the fine is nothing by today's standards - it is STILL punishable by a fine to destroy it - so - the ? is - are contractors really that oblivious to the presence of "benchmark" discs?????????????

 

Anyone have any insight on this?

 

(just as an aside - I know of a railroad line in my area that is getting ready to be used again after about a 20/30 year lull - so I thought I might let the folks re-doing it know of the discs along the line so they can preserve them - that IS a good idea right?)

[+jwahl]

A few key elements of the description are that it is described as

 

"3.6 METERS (12.0 FT) SOUTHEAST OF THE CENTERLINE OF

THE HIGHWAY. THE MARK IS 0.18 M ABOVE HIGHWAY."

 

Makes it sound like it was on a concrete edge of the travelled portion of the bridge. Perhaps in line with the easterly pier, but pictures I find on the internet do not really show a normal bridge abutment extending from shore. So this on first intuition makes me think it was part of the actual roadway and thus probably already destroyed.

 

Pictures of the blown bridge show that most of it is still there with collapsed sections draped over the piers except for the center section which probably dropped straight down.

 

I am relying some on the scaled position. I'll see if I can add in some links to the bridge before and after that might show the area. There is also roadway level google imagery which might be interesting to look at, and what I see is a low concrete platform on the edge of pavement which supports a guard rail. It would be a longshot to see the mark, and I didn't look extensively. That whole component could have been replaced in the last 25 years easily.

 

- jlw

 

PS link additions: One picture (7) after implosion showing bridge construction structure.

 

Some older pics. Most from NY end.

 

Bottom line from those pics there is really no concrete or stone structure above the roadway except that supporting the guard rail as part of the roadway itself. The rest is all steel.

Edited January 3, 2010 by jwahl