Maggie 2 Update

The Margaret McDermott Bridge on I-30 crossing the Trinity River. This is the second Signature Bridge as part of the Trinity Corridor Project.

The construction of the Margaret McDermott (Maggie 2) is moving along about the same pace as when the Margaret Hunt Hill (Maggie 1) was under construction. Crews were working. The work field is mired in mud with all the rain that has been falling and the melting of the snow and ice. Also, I was rather taken aback when I finally realized that the final height of the center arch was a bit lower than I first thought. While the Maggie 1 risers to 400 feet above the Trinity, Maggie 2 will not be that tall. It is estimated to be 250 feet above the Trinity, some 150 feet less than the Maggie 1, but still a significant and respectable height.

With the weather being cold, blustery and damp, attending the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Greenville was passed up for the second year in a row. After lunch my prescriptions were ready for pick up. While out, I drove down to the bridge, which looks almost like it did last week. Then, I took Beckley to Zang Avenue to Bishop Street. The trolley lines are nearly ready. The station drop-off and pick-up points now have the weather and wind shield covers in place.

On the way over, I was wondering with the festive mood going on in Lower Greenville, if the Bishop Arts District would be rather down in attendance. Much to my surprise, the crowds were big, the lines were long and parking was just as bad as in Lower Greenville. It was encouraging for city growth to see both areas "going strong". It also occurred to me that the Dart Trolley would probably get used a lot.Current thinking is that the trolley would be full most of the time if not all the time. Lower Greenville doesn't have that service and it wouldn't take much to run the Trolley from City Place down Henderson to Greenville. Since Klyde Warren Deck Park was so successful, and with the extension of the trolley lines along both ends of the park the "M" is going to have more riders this summer than expected, I bet. Remember also, it isn't that far to the Perot Museum, either.

All-in-all, Dallas has it together and is showing signs that make economics fun. The amount of  construction going on is really amazing, especially in roadways, airports, public transportation. The Trinity Corridor was, without doubt, the development catalyst equal to what DFW was for the city.

Today Was A Productive Day.

The weatherman said that the best day of the next week was going to be today and "you should go out today and enjoy it before the cold really sets in." I checked the National Weather Service website and after reading the discussion section, I was out the door with camera case in under 10-minutes. After checking the gas prices and finding a $1.79 station in the area, I drove to the station and filled up. It's been a long time since I filled my car for $20.69. Then, I pointed  Hildegaard (that's my car's name) toward White Rock and beyond--Great Trinity Forest Way-- beyond. Why? I have pictures!!

If you haven't been out Buckner Boulevard (Loop 12 South) for a while, you will discover that around the Audubon Society's amazing hide-a-way, Buckner, (aka Loop 12) is now renamed Great Trinity Forest Way. Fitting, because it is  the northern top of the heart of the Great Trinity Forest , a 6,000 acre urban forest.

There are a couple of areas down the driveway to park before you must pay for the Audubon and I wanted to see if anything had changed.  It had changed a lot! On the way back out the long drive,  I found two cars of Dallas Police Officers, parked in the free area. Two doing their routine checks and two that were on bicycle duty already out riding. The first two officers were able to answer my questions that I had and my main reason to come out there today. Alongside the roadway inbound, there were piles and piles of dirt being moved around and pipe and tubes and stake flags and bulldozers. I ask the first set of officers if the construction that was visible was the new golf course? I got a big smile from both of them and a strong, YES! So, half my search had ended before it had officially begun. My hunches had paid off. But there was a serendipity to be had as well. AT & T had paid out $2.5 million dollars to add to and expand the hiking and biking trails from the Audubon Society to Elam Road. In fact, between the roadway going into the Audubon and the new golf course construction, the new concrete trail was off through the Great Trinity already.

I shot what is reported to be the 5th green and fairway, of the 400 plus acre complex known as Trinity Forest Golf Course.  The other two offices that was  on their bikes were returning to the parking lot  and yelled out, "hey, how ya doing ?" as they arrived at their patrol car to load up their bikes. I walked over to the car and explained that I had been given direction  from the two earlier officers but I was uncertain about what was meant my a turn location they had given me. The officers on their bikes cleared that up for me.

Reported to be the 5th Green and Fairway at the Trinity Forest Golf Course.

Ribbon Cutting in March,2015

Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw with Jonas Woods, the birds will already be learning to worm the course by the time it opens in 2016.

The second location? The new and nearly complete Texas Horse Park. I had taken some pictures of riders at the Columbus Day Parade on the Continental Bridge Pedestrian Park and one of the guy said that I should go check it out, that it was going to be amazing. So, I put it on my list of projects to photograph. Later adding the Trinity Forest Golf Course, it fit right in  with the Texas Horse Park as the two locations are within a mile of each other.

On leaving, I drove up 175 to I-45 to Central Expressway (US 75). Somewhere about Walnut Hill Lane there was a plumb of black smoke rising straight up miles ahead. As I am driving north, I'm thinking, that should be about Coit and Beltline. As it turned out, I was two blocks off! I shot the house fire with the help of the Richardson Fire Department and the Richardson Police. Long story short, no one was hurt. The fire came under control and the live feed picked up 20 images on the 48-hour rotation  cycle. Since those images are running on the live feed, I didn't include any of those here.

Edited to change Avenue to Boulevard 07/01/2015

The Trinity River Corridor Glows Again

It was plain to see that the interest in the Maggie 2 Bridge (Margaret McDermott) is drawing visitors during the early construction more rapidly than the Maggie 1 (Margaret Hunt Hill) did. That, within itself is a testament to the Maggie 1 Project. After people saw what the building of a prized bridge could do as far as community and economic benefits, it was only natural that the crowds would come early on to witness the uprising from the trenches into that glorious Santiago Calatrava design of architectural form. The interesting part is that the first pieces of the double aches have not even been shipped from the fabricator.The other point to consider in the early crowds is that during this bridge construction, there is the new Trinity Skyline Trail that was non existent during the building of Maggie 1.

In as much as Interstate 30 will ferry visitors between AT&T Stadium in Arlington and downtown Dallas, if for nothing more than commuting between a hotel room and the stadium, it would be worth it all. The impression with the remake of the mix-master into the horseshoe will give a more refined coat for the city to wear. There is no question in my mind that the Trinity River Corridor Project was and will be the place to add growth investment for the city. After all, it is only following what mother nature put down eons ago and the city discovered with vision and astute planning, even though the naysayers were screaming at every turn. It was the right decision folks. It really was. I only wish that I was going to be around in thirty years with the same energy that I have today to rejoice with the city for making their dreams come alive despite the negativeness that others were trying to white-wash  as a , "I told you so" party that they will never have.

 Over the years, I have seen cities developed good plans and I have seen cities develop bad plans. I have seen even rock-hard cities like Detroit fall into the gloom of despair. But, Detroit will come back again with vision and planning. It always works. The key to any city is in the elected and the paid visionaries.For visions are the eyes of  new vistas. Dallas took a river and a forest and turned it into the second most powerful economic engine outside of DFW International.

Former Mayor, Ron Kirk (1995-2002)  fired up the engine that we know today. We were lucky to have Former Mayor Laura Miller follow Mayor Kirk and even more lucky to have Former Mayor Tom Leppert to follow. Dwaine Caraway keep the fires burning after Mayor Leppert stepped down. The legacy of Mayor Mike Rawlings is still being written, but I don't see the blazing economic engine that moved this city down the road like it was moving. But, we shall see in time. Don't get me wrong. Mike Rawlings has had his plate full. Long have I preached that Fair Park needed attention. It's getting it now. South Dallas is finally getting the attention that they deserve and will get much more through the Trinity River Project than they suspect will happen. The spin offs will bloom in south Dallas and Oak Cliff. The train is still on time. Don't give  up, south Dallas. Don't ever give up!

As a foot note here, the new radar unit that measures the down river discharge rate that the United States Geological Survey had installed is now up and running with all its wires connected.  Thanks to the USGS office in Austin and the field office in Ft. Worth. I had listed an image with my agent and after talking with the USGS after they reviewed the image, ask that it be withheld until the wiring was complete. I am happy to report.... It's a GO!! Thanks to every one in the office for their great informative discussion on what the unit did and how it worked and how it can be viewed on the USGS web page daily. Now, we just need the rain so that I can check out the log reports.

The Radar unit measures the rate of discharge going downstream. The reports can be seen on the USGS website under water management.

Maggie 1 as seen from the new Maggie 2. That is # 11, grade 60 rebar there on the ground. It ain't no # 3 pool rebar!

Here goes another skyline change for Dallas! Where else can you see a bass fishing boat, complete with outboard motor  hanging from a crane eclipsing both the Bank of America Building and Reunion Tower?