My 2 Cents: Problems with Skydance Pedestrian Bridge

By Kelly Ogle, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Done right it could be that unique piece that would make Oklahoma City's instantly recognizable, but there's a problem, a very expensive problem with Oklahoma City's anticipated Skydance Pedestrian Bridge.

It's a magnificent design by the same talented architects who created the Oklahoma City National Memorial.

A suspension bridge, spanning the new I-40, a football field and a half long, supported by an 8 story stainless steel wrapped structure resembling the tail of a scissor tailed fly catcher.

Imagine it in the foreground of a photo of Oklahoma City's skyline, including the colossal now under construction Devon Tower.

But the bridge is going to cost a lot more than expected.

In fact the Skydance has skyrocketed from $5.2 million to $12.8 million dollars.

Structural load requirements have increased, the bridge had to be moved a shade, and Buy American provisions have all driven the price up.

On Tuesday city engineers will recommend that the city council alter the bridge to a regular truss bridge, not a cabled suspension bridge. Not great, but the crossed spires would remain.

Even then it will cost $1.6 million more than originally thought.

It needs to be done right, let's see what the redesign looks like before going cheap on it.

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