South Street Bridge design changes put towers on hold

See an interactive graphic about the new design here.

At last night's South Street Bridge Coalition meeting, Philadelphia's 30th Ward residents learned that they will have to wait a bit longer for finalized designs for the bridge's upper deck.

The project has been divided into two phases, said Marcia Wilkof, Democratic 30th ward leader and David Perry, chief engineer for surveys and design at the Philadelphia Department of Streets.

The first phase will include the lower part of the bridge and the second phase - for which funding is still uncertain - will address the potential towers on the upper deck of the bridge.

Perry explained that the tower design chosen at a similar community meeting on March 30 - a structure "in between a cylinder-type object and a torchiere" with a solid inner core surrounded by glass on the outside - was seen as problematic.

For instance, he said, "it would take an additional month of engineering to determine what the tower shape would look like" since it must be tailored to fit external conditions, such as wind.

Perry added that the structure would become "fatter and wider," and the cost would be "prohibitive."

He added that the team working on the project would be misleading the community by showing them a design that would undergo major changes later on.

"It wouldn't be fair to the community," he said. "We don't want to make the mistake of rushing to the finish line and coming up with something not fully thought out."

The Phase One plan will be completed on Nov. 10, according to the previous schedule, Perry maintained.

Community members were not all pleased to hear that the deck tower plans were put on hold.

One man, who has been an architect for 30 years, said he was "disappointed" not to see the "elegant light fixture" that was proposed last month

Others were happy with the new proposal and said they would rather have no tower at all and have a viewing deck showcasing the cityscape instead.

"I don't want the prison guard towers," one woman said.

Another woman suggested that the coalition "take a cue from the gorgeous bridges of Europe."

Meanwhile, one man stated that he would like a tower with a roof so that "when it is hot and sunny, there is a place to stop on the bridge in case you're having a heart attack."

A number of people at the event expressed concern over the possible lack of funding for the new Phase Two and that the upper deck will never get designed.

Despite all these complaints, Wilkof maintained that the city's pledge to complete the bridge and allow two separate projects is a "testament to the City's willingness to come up with something really spectacular for the bridge."

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