Local

Mayor Bynum not happy with leak on new bridge design

TULSA, Ok — “There’s apparently one member of our committee who has so little respect for the  other members that they’re willing to shoot their mouth off before the announcement.” mayor Bynum told KRMG with a chuckle.

While Bynum may have been laughing, it was easy to tell he wasn’t amused by the fact someone leaked the winning  “Gateway” design to a local media source.

When KRMG asked Bynum to confirm the design he told us “I told our members last week that we as a group would make the announcement and I want to honor the hard work they put in.”

In other words, no confirmation.

But it came at 8:30am when Bynum and others appeared at a news conference for the official dedication. “There’s no bridge like this anywhere in the US, Bynum beamed in making the announcement.

Bynum admits there have been questions along the way. “There’s a lot of folks who say the bridge that’s there now is fine, why replace it?” But Bynum and city engineers disagree.

“It’s structurally unsound,” Bynum began. “The concrete piers it was built on 100-years ago were not built with re-enforced concrete, they have cracks throughout them,” he continued. The bridge’s weld points are also rusted, making things more dangerous.

“Structural engineers who have looked at that, tell us there is tremendous risk of that bridge collapsing,” Bynum continued.

Bynum talked about being proud of the collaborative effort in moving forward with the plans and designs, “something that was lacking before,” he commented.

The Gateway design was put forward by  Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates, the New York firm that designed A Gathering Place for Tulsa.

Do you like the design? Download the KRMG app and let us know what you think using the open mic.

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