Bridge

[tooten]

If that bridge is passable it should be opened if and when traffic is not interfering with the actual construction. I heard on the WJJQ that some people have crossed the bridge and the Police Department is now announcing that they will write $340 tickets to anyone caught crossing it. I think the residents of Tomahawk have been unconvinced enough. I sat for 25 minutes on N. Fourth Street at about 4:00PM the other day while a contractor's flag man stopped traffic to unload four dump trucks in a row. This clown had Northbound traffic stopped and backed up from the Family Restaurant to Nelson's Market for that 25 minutes. I'm sure Southbound traffic was also blocking the Highway A intersection. Who's watching that stuff?

Who cares if the politicians want to hold a ceremony a week from now to pat themselves on the back.

[Old Scout]

I really can't see where the contractors would want a bunch of cars and trucks going through the construction getting in the way of the workers. Not only is it an inconvenience for the workers, but it would be a dangerous situation for both the workers and the people driving through. There is a difference between passable and completed and the workers being gone. It was passable a month or more ago as the contractors vehicles were using it but about the time someone was driving across and either got hit by one of the machines or hit one of the workers there would be h**l to pay and somebody would not be happy. I am sure you will survive another week. If that is the worst inconvenience you ever have in your life consider yourself very lucky.

[tooten]

It's not about me Scout. I'm retired so I could care less about the detour, for I don't have to be anywhere at a particular time. What about the other 6000 people that live in the area that have to go to work, shop or whatever. Like you said that bridge has been passable for more than a month. In the last month I've not seen any heavy equipment on the bridge other than pickup trucks. There is no construction work being done from 5:00PM until 7:00AM. If the contractors are being inconvenienced let them put flagmen on the bridge during work hours. I still think it's more about the politicians doing their thing than anything else.

[Deb Richardson]

The bridge may have been passable, but had it passed a final inspection? I believe that would need to happen before it's considered safe for daily traffic.

[Old Scout]

As with most construction jobs, the contractor has the final say on when the job is completed and when it is turned over to the public.

The politicians really don't have much if anything to say about !

[Mimi61]

Although I don't currently live in Tomahawk, I think it's great that the bridge will be open tomorrow - on schedule!

[tooten]

Sorry to disappoint you folks but the State of Wisconsin highway engineers run a project like that and do inspections as the project is built including the final. The contractors are paid as each phase of the project is completed satisfactorily, again including the final. The contractors won't dally around when it comes to money.

Politicians could care less for its not their money. Far more important to get their name in the paper doing something for the "public good." I'd bet the final on the bridge phase of the project was done some time ago. Who cares, I haven't been down there yet but the bridge was supposed to be opened today. The politicians can bloviate all they want now and we all will save a few bucks not driving that six mile detour. One must wonder which of them will lay claim to all the good that was done for the environment by taking all those detoured vehicles off the road.

[Old Scout]

The contractors won't dally around when it comes to money.

If your opinion is anywhere near correct then the contractors are just hanging around trying to look busy to make the politicians happy, which doesn't agree with your previous statement. I was down by the bridge today and they still have a crew there and if they weren't working on the bridge they were doing a great impression of men working. I seriously doubt that they are hanging around just to make the mayor look good. If it was complete and ready for use they would be gone and working on the next project.

Me thinks you have a bad attitude that needs adjusting ! !

[Kerry Tobin]

There is information as to why the bridge isn't open on the front page of the website. They were still painting and the rain prevented that process from being completed. After the painting it needed time to cure (or dry, or whatever). Hence, the bridge is now scheduled to open tomorrow.

[Deb Richardson]

As far as contractors getting paid upon completion that is true, however my husband has been the contractor waiting for the "back-end" on state jobs and waited and waited. Anyone that has worked with the state knows that final payment is slow in coming. Just an FYI.

[River Rat]

If that bridge is passable it should be opened if and when traffic is not interfering with the actual construction. I heard on the WJJQ that some people have crossed the bridge and the Police Department is now announcing that they will write $340 tickets to anyone caught crossing it.

I heard this too. What exactly was the violation of law being ticketed? Disturbance of the peace? public nucince? I'd like to know how many tickets were written and how many hold-up in a court challange.

There is information as to why the bridge isn't open on the front page of the website. They were still painting and the rain prevented that process from being completed. After the painting it needed time to cure (or dry, or whatever). Hence, the bridge is now scheduled to open tomorrow.

If that's true than the Tomahawk city owned vehicles must have some sort of space-aged anti-wet-paint forcefield around them because they where zipping back and forth over the bridge late last week. My vehicle would be much more bothersome to wet paint, you know, no forcefield.

[Old Scout]

Well Tooten, I guess your theory doesn't hold water. The Mayor made the decision to open the bridge today regardless of the dedication ceremony. They will still hold a ceremony but he didn't want to keep it closed until then. As soon as the contractors were done and their equipment cleared from the bridge at the end of the day the barricades were taken down.

Enjoy the shorter ride !

[tooten]

Scout when your down at that ceremony sucking up to the politicians for their job well done make sure you thank them for B-P and Shell for the month's worth of extra fuel burned up by the community while transversing that detour. Pardon my "Bad Attitude" and idiotic theory, for I'm not the all knowing individual that you are, but it just seemed to me that having a couple of $20 dollar an hour flag men on that bridge for the eight hour work day would be far cheaper than $40 or $50 per hour policemen staking it out 24-7 while waiting for paint to dry. A smart fellow like you should run for office you'd fit right in.

[Deb Richardson]

FYI prevailing for a flagman on a job like the bridge is more like $25-30/hour. The contractor that did that job would have figured that in as part of the original bid.

[Old Scout]

$40 or $50 per hour policemen

What fantasy world do you live in ? ? ?

I'm not the all knowing individual that you are,

Just common sense !

A person has to know the things he can change, the things he can't change and have the wisdom to know the difference !

[tooten]

An amazing thing happened on my trip to the post office this morning. Flagmen working the traffic on the new bridge. I think I read this somewhere “The only fool bigger than the person who knows it all is the person who argues with him” and I think it applies very well to this subject. So I'll take my "Bad Attitude" and park it for a while.

[Tom B]

Old Scout.
The bridge is usable once it has been inspected and meets the Inspection standards. No contractor has the right to say open for business. Come on.
Do you realize how many rules and regulations there are in today’s world for a contractor? You can’t even move into a new home until final inspection and if you do your fined hundreds of dollars Per Day of occupancy.
Between OSHA the EPA and Federal and State inspectors not to mention the DNR it’s hard not to break some kind of rule.

[Old Scout]

The bridge is usable once it has been inspected and meets the Inspection standards. No contractor has the right to say open for business. Come on.

And do you think they are going to inspect it and open it until the contractor has finished the job. Until the contractor lets them know they are complete then the inspector will approve it. He sure as H**l isn't going to open it while they are still working. Let's use a little common sense here folks !

OH I forgot, common sense isn't very common anymore !

And did it really hurt anyone to wait a few more days until it was ready ? I doubt if anyone suffered !

So if you still have a problem with it, I guess it's your personal problem.

[Tom B]

O Scout said: The bridge may have been passable, but had it passed a final inspection? I believe that would need to happen before it's considered safe for daily traffic.

This is your comment to which I was referring.
Your right about Common sense.
That’s why I answered your uncommon sense statement.

[Old Scout]

I guess that's your personal problem and I prefer not to get involved in personal problems.

It's open let's enjoy it !

The bridge may have been passable, but had it passed a final inspection? I believe that would need to happen before it's considered safe for daily traffic.

Oh, and by the way, that was Deb's statement not mine !