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PracticableSolution t1_j26ilp5 wrote

The Belleville turnpike bridge is much lower at about 15’ when closed and ducks under route 21, so it can’t be raised for a fixed conversion, so even for the lightest river traffic, it must lift. The Route 3 bridge up the river was raised and converted to a fixed bridge with double the clearance so river traffic can go under it. All these decisions cost tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. They are not made lightly and the Army Corps and Coast Guard are the real deciding factors, not the DOT

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rollotomasi07071 OP t1_j26m657 wrote

But those Rutgers St bridge towers are enormous. What were they thinking would have to pass underneath? A cruise ship?

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PracticableSolution t1_j26mp9i wrote

They’re ridiculous and if one fell over it could be the bridge all by itself. It comes down to the fact that almost all the cost and effort is in the machinery, so is it worth it to hold a project up over 10’ of tower? Probably not. It’s like asking if you’re going through all the effort to buy a truck to drive to work 10 times a year, does 15 miles matter more than 10? Not really because all the cost is in buying the truck.

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