From: INTERNET:WS100Sec@aol.com, INTERNET:WS100Sec@aol.com
DATE: 4/12/96 2:21 AM
RE: Message from Internet
Sender: ws100sec@aol.com
Received: from emout06.mail.aol.com (emout06.mail.aol.com [198.81.10.43]) by dub-img-4.compuserve.com (8.6.10/5.950515)
id CAA11377; Fri, 12 Apr 1996 02:20:41 -0400
From: <WS100Sec@aol.com>
Received: by emout06.mail.aol.com (8.6.12/8.6.12) id CAA08813 for 102437.3565@compuserve.com; Fri, 12 Apr 1996 02:19:22 -0400
Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 02:19:22 -0400
Message-Id: <199604120619.CAA08813@emout06.mail.aol.com>
Apparently-To: 102437.3565@compuserve.com
SECRETARY
WESTERN STATES ENDURANCE RUN
NO HANDS BRIDGE UPDATE - 4/11
It has been several weeks since there has been an update on the fate of No
Hands Bridge - bottom line - there is no good news and no bad news but WS
Trails groups continue to work on several aspects of trying to reopen the
bridge for our races and the general public.
Fund Raising - Several groups and individuals are raising funds for the
repair of the bridge. Placer County has pledged to put up some money towards
the repairs, perhaps $5000. There are pledges of $5000 from the Western
States Run, Dru Barner and Robie Foundations and an individual stable owner.That
makes for $20,000. It has been posted that an account has been established
to receive money for the repairs. When a "good" cost estimate is done, we
will post information on who to lobby to get the money we need.
Repair Costs - No firm cost estimates have been established, but the
consensus seems to be that the cost will be more than what the general public
will be able to raise from contributions. We will need to get some money
from the federal budget and that means the Bureau of Reclamation needs to be
ready to provide some money from its budget. Since the "managing" owner of
No Hands is the Folsom Office of the Bureau of Rec., who are also responsible
for the gate that collapsed on Folsom Dam last winter (the cost of that
repair is estimated in the $10s of millions of dollars), it will be difficult
to find additional money from that office. It will probably become critical
that we get support from our local congressional delegation - the very people
who are trying to build Auburn dam that would drown No Hands - ironic isn't
it, but that's the way the system works.
Reopening for the events - An engineer in the Sacramento foothills area has
volunteered to look at the bridge and attempt to establish the level of
safety of the structure "as it stands". We looked at the bridge on the
morning of March 31 and spent 4 hours recording all of the information we
could see in regards to "tell tale" signs of distress in the overhead
structure. What we could see confirmed our thinking about the Bureaus
information and the structural situation. The engineer took all of the info
back for analysis and calculation. As of 4/11 we don't have the calcs back
to see what safety factors remain in the structure - if any. I remain
positive, in that what I saw March 31st indicates that the degradation of the
bridge foundation happened years ago and it hasn't changed significantly even
after the coffer dam collapse event in 1986. I'm not doing the calcs
however.
As for the worst case - Norm Klein has been working on an alternate route to
crossing the river on No Hands, but I can only hope we never have to resort
to an alternate route.
FIXING THE BRIDGE - The engineering types involved in the bridge problem have
been doing some thinking about the fix. Everyone agrees that the fix is
simply a matter of getting concrete back where it has been eroded away.
Western States Endurance Run hired an engineer and got a report back on a
potential fix and the costs involved. The cost was under $150,000, but the
big problem is diverting the river. Even at low flow the river carries 150
cfs and the problem pier sits in a pool that is 15-18 feet deep and 200-300
feet long. Diverting the river to gain access to the pier foundation is
extremely expensive. We are working on ways to "grout" under the pier with
concrete without diverting the river. I plan to sketch up some of these
ideas and pass them around for comment about May 1st. If everyone involved
can agree on one scheme as practical and structurally sound we will get it to
a grouting contractor and try to get some costs established.
THE BOTTOM LINE - We intend to fix the bridge this Fall when the river is
low. We will not allow the pier to go one more winter without getting fixed.
The Bureau has been put on notice that we intend to help them get the thing
fixed and IT WILL happen this year.
TOM WINTER
Secretary, Western States Endurance Run Foundation