Evidently, for some in government, there isn't a war on.

The northern Ontario (Hwy 11) route of the Trans-Canada was being built all through the 1930s as a Depression make-work project. In 1941 (iirc) it suddenly became necessary for national defence. It was open to traffic that same year.

Much wisdom, Cap'n C.

There are a whole lot of projects that could have been done 30 years ago that would be impossible to get off the ground now because of all the regulation, political correctness, enviro-nazis, etc. We've come a long way, baby...

An even better and more relavent example would be the newest world's tallest building in Dubai.

Four years ago when I was there, it was a billboard along a major highway. Today it is the world's tallest building and they are not close to being done.

The war on terror is being 100% financed, no 'make-work' projects are involved.

Old highway 11 beyond Cochrane was still gravel surface in some areas up to the late 50's and luckily ran beside the old Canadian Northern RR in some places which helped a lot.

Where is the HOPE NYC!?!

Geez, Norwegian bachelor farmers from Minnesota, chewing on Yarlsberg cheese, out do New Yawk City?

Get off your keesters and start building.

The POPE has already commemorated and blessed the place!

Seven years after people were hurling themselves from the burning towers, they have yet to scratch the ground. That is a suitable length of mourning.

Fortunately, no one needs to throw themselves from the building, even with the present financial turmoil.

Plug the financial dike and carry on.

Nieuw Amsterdam's currency has now been replaced by beaver pelts. Hey if beavers and the people of New Orleans can rebuild when their dams burst, why can't Nieuw Amsterdammers?

If you don't start moving, you might get the Nieuw Amsterdam cheer!

http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/54954/detail/

Can anyone say New Yawk MOXY?

Cheers

Hans-Christian Georg Rupprecht, Commander in Chief

Frankenstein Battalion
2nd Squadron: Ulanen-(Lancers) Regiment Großherzog Friedrich von Baden(Rheinisches) Nr.7(Saarbrucken)
Knecht Rupprecht Division
Hans Corps
1st Saint Nicolaas Army
Army Group “True North”

Difference is the bridge fell down because it was a piece of crap. Being proud of rebuilding a bridge that should never have collapsed in the first place strikes me as stupid.

Being proud of rebuilding a bridge that should never have collapsed in the first place has a ring of hubris. There are some things, like building bridges, that I'd prefer to be done right, rather than done fast.

Here's and recent article on ground zero from BusinessWeek:

http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/sep2008/id20080915_858092.htm?chan=innovation_architecture_top+stories

I was actually in Minneapolis about a month before the bridge collapsed. I thought Minneapolis was a pretty good city - it's not a hick town. Weird thing was that I was walking down a street (I think it was Hennipen) and I came across the Mary Richard's statue on some corner. I took a couple of pictures and people were looking at me funny. I asked them who she was and nobody knew - except me a hick Canuck.

I also happened to be in New York City and at ground zero the same day that the Pope was there. I visited some of the real working class Irish Pubs on Manhattan where all the off duty policemen, firemen and construction guys hang out and the construction guys were saying that they were constantly told to do something and then they would be told to stop and then start again, etc. - a lot of frustration because their was no clear leadership or ownership of the project - according to them - and on top of this there was union politics going on. Construction is clearly happening but it is at a snail's pace.

It is so important to make ground zero happen and I would hope to see someone at the US federal level take direct sponsorship of this thing.

They're using 3D CAD to create the construction drawings.

maybe the people in min. a soda. should look at the people who have immgrated to their part of the world. muslims will feel the cold much like you but they will still take over your world.

Ernie

You are way out to lunch on this one. Firstly, I doubt you have a clue as to whether it was done right. I would not hesitate to cross that bridge. Secondly, that bridge is huge, consisting of four lanes (if I recall correctly) crossing a fairly large river, a railway and a roadway.

Contrast this with a bridge in Manitoba crossing only a double railway track that took a full year to replace.

I am very impressed with the good people of Minneapolis.

To correct an extremely crucial point, the Mary Richards statue is on Nicollet, not Hennepin. Next time you're in town, you can also eat at the Mary Tyler Moore table at Basil's in the IDS Building and walk past the house in Kenwood where Mary Richard, Rhoda, and Phyllis lived. Very exciting.

Is there any report of why it collapsed?

Made twin tower the bigges mall with supermarket in USA and put so many parking space under neath
and hotels in top level and some amuzment center in togetehr for attraction of tourist and bank

no more trade there has bad memory back

made two building for doing trade to go outside of down town New york for security purpose
that is I guess I may be wrong

Newyork downtown problme is lack of parking

richfisher

It was assessed as an engineering error. The failure was attributed to gusset plates of the truss structure being half of the required thickness (half inch thick actual vs necessary one inch thick).

Woodporter, read Henry Petroski's "To Engineer in Human" if you already haven't.

The bridge collapsed because of a faulty design.

of course that was hushed up under the table by the leftists in the state congress. To them the "official" reason is.... (can you guess?)

Not enough government spending!

I've even seen bumper stickers that say "No More Collapses" with "taxes" crossed out.

PiperPaul, I haven't read (or heard of) the book, and now have one on order. Thanks for the tip.

ccon,

It is so important to make ground zero happen and I would hope to see someone at the US federal level take direct sponsorship of this thing.

With the current economic conditions in the US, I wouldn't think that the feds would have any money to spend on it, at least with a straight face.

My 2 cents says that they should make it into a park, some respectful green space in lower Manhattan would be a good thing. They don't seem to have a shortage of huge buildings down there.

I terribly confused as to why so many expect the federal government to do something at ground zero. Isn't that private property, on which privately owned buildings stood? And isn't it up to the owners of that property to rebuild as they see fit?

woodporter,

Right on both counts.

I heard insurance company was bankrupt now government of US must pay for that
let Canadian company bit that space with Candian building company made some thing owned by Canadian business company
ask Mr. Thompson and Mr. Rogers buy that for
made new CN tower Candian and skydom look like Roger centers in middle can be nice

instead of Rogercenter in one level made more level for parking and for food and supermarket as well that can be nice and get croweded like Toronot down town center
they must take look all population if they come there they must have road and park

I hate when some thing happend in Rogers centers all the road get blocked and traffic and parking get awfull

in down town Toronto made so many no direction so many condeminium but when all those condumenum get fulled now we have so many traffic out ther and noise and people loose their pateint going downtwon toronto

city of Torotno need to made some changes by add more to road and parking and able to kept in and out traffic in some occasion in proper way
that can bring lots of moeny for city but peopel come once do not wish to back agian because of parking and road shape here

I think US is worst

but I am not sure insurance company are broke and bankrupt in USA I heard about them