When the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge was announced several years ago, one thinks what's in the name? In this case it was a Hunt as in Hunt Oil or the patriarch of the Hunt family and beautiful Mt. Vernon ( an exact duplicate of the original) home at White Rock Lake. But admittedly, even with searching for some help, when the second bridge was announced and the name was Margaret McDermott, it was a bit more work to burn an image on my mind. Philanthropist. Now it rings a bell.
True, the movers and the shakers of Dallas are all involved with the bridge project as it is part of the Trinity River Corridor Project, a non-profit to development along the Trinity River. And some of those movers and shakers can be found on the board of the Trinity River Corridor Project.
While the Margaret McDermott bridge has been downsized ( it's now, just the Margaret McDermott bike and pedestrian portion ) and was almost axed when the economy went farther down river, it was saved after TxDOT said that the bridge over I-30 would be built, even if they had to do the engineering. That jolted a few and it wasn't long until a deal was reached to scale back but never-the-less still have Santiago Calatrava design the walkways and bikeways across the second bridge.
Actually, the feeling is that Margaret McDermott got the better part of the deal in that the bridge is over the Trinity on a major interstate highway. It will have a pedestrian
and bike crossing that Maggie One doesn't have and it will be more in the center of activity when the project is complete. Sometimes, second in number isn't really that bad of a deal.
So, yesterday, while looking at the work that had been done since August when the equipment first appeared on scene, pilings are never a pretty part of the job, but they are the "bedrock" of the project (pardon the pun) the call of the Nikon hit me. When Maggie One was being built, over 100 weekends were spent photographing the construction process. That weighed heavy when the thought of another long-term project registered on the brain. The purpose of the trip yesterday was to stand on the west levee where Maggie One could be seen in its completed state and then look at downtown from where this project was digging into the ground (another non-intended pun) and get a feel if it would be worth the effort.
There is a whole lot of satisfaction in one of these projects but not a whole lot of money, if any when you factor in gas, time and added dust and dirt to be cleaned from a camera professionally. It does cost money to do one of these things. As my maternal grandmother once told me: "Nothing in life is ever, ever free." She was very right on target and that phrase still rings out in me even today. To document changes in an urban setting can be rewarding. It also can be a drain on emotions, resources of time and money not to mention aches and pains, cuts and scratches. heat stroke and many more.
But, as I stood on the levee looking at the workers going about the daily task of such a project and looking back at Maggie One, then the future Maggie Two, it was realized that I had to give it a shot, or two, since another pun worked its way in the text. While this is kind of written tongue and cheek, it is urban history that can make a difference, even if that difference is ever so small. Much like the history that answered a question just two years ago about where Air Force One had been parked at Love Field when Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as President. It was a photo that gave the answer. An urban photo. Lots was learned in doing the Maggie One Project. Certainly, more can be learned from the Maggie Two. Provided health and money issues remain status quo.
So, Maggie One : Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge (complete and open)
Maggie Two: Margaret McDermott Bridge ( unofficially under way, August,2013 )
Link: http://dallascityhall.com/committee_briefings/trinity_river.html
Link: http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philanthropy
12/29/13: correction of omitted text.
True, the movers and the shakers of Dallas are all involved with the bridge project as it is part of the Trinity River Corridor Project, a non-profit to development along the Trinity River. And some of those movers and shakers can be found on the board of the Trinity River Corridor Project.
While the Margaret McDermott bridge has been downsized ( it's now, just the Margaret McDermott bike and pedestrian portion ) and was almost axed when the economy went farther down river, it was saved after TxDOT said that the bridge over I-30 would be built, even if they had to do the engineering. That jolted a few and it wasn't long until a deal was reached to scale back but never-the-less still have Santiago Calatrava design the walkways and bikeways across the second bridge.
Actually, the feeling is that Margaret McDermott got the better part of the deal in that the bridge is over the Trinity on a major interstate highway. It will have a pedestrian
 |
| The unofficial start to work on Maggie Two |
 |
| The completed Maggie One |
 |
| Note the angle of the boring on Maggie Two |
So, yesterday, while looking at the work that had been done since August when the equipment first appeared on scene, pilings are never a pretty part of the job, but they are the "bedrock" of the project (pardon the pun) the call of the Nikon hit me. When Maggie One was being built, over 100 weekends were spent photographing the construction process. That weighed heavy when the thought of another long-term project registered on the brain. The purpose of the trip yesterday was to stand on the west levee where Maggie One could be seen in its completed state and then look at downtown from where this project was digging into the ground (another non-intended pun) and get a feel if it would be worth the effort.
There is a whole lot of satisfaction in one of these projects but not a whole lot of money, if any when you factor in gas, time and added dust and dirt to be cleaned from a camera professionally. It does cost money to do one of these things. As my maternal grandmother once told me: "Nothing in life is ever, ever free." She was very right on target and that phrase still rings out in me even today. To document changes in an urban setting can be rewarding. It also can be a drain on emotions, resources of time and money not to mention aches and pains, cuts and scratches. heat stroke and many more.
But, as I stood on the levee looking at the workers going about the daily task of such a project and looking back at Maggie One, then the future Maggie Two, it was realized that I had to give it a shot, or two, since another pun worked its way in the text. While this is kind of written tongue and cheek, it is urban history that can make a difference, even if that difference is ever so small. Much like the history that answered a question just two years ago about where Air Force One had been parked at Love Field when Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as President. It was a photo that gave the answer. An urban photo. Lots was learned in doing the Maggie One Project. Certainly, more can be learned from the Maggie Two. Provided health and money issues remain status quo.
So, Maggie One : Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge (complete and open)
Maggie Two: Margaret McDermott Bridge ( unofficially under way, August,2013 )
Link: http://dallascityhall.com/committee_briefings/trinity_river.html
Link: http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philanthropy
12/29/13: correction of omitted text.
