Niagara Falls! Mighty cascade of water! Font of hydroelectricity, tourism, romance, wildlife!
But waterfalls are no friend to bridges -- and that may require one of Niagara's fabled falls to be shut off for a time.
A proposal to replace two 115-year-old bridges connecting the U.S. mainland with Goat Island -- a green space located between American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls -- may require shutting down the American Falls, according to an assessment from New York State's park and transportation agencies (PDF).
About 85% of the Niagara River flows over Horseshoe Falls -- on the Canadian side of the border -- while the rest goes over over American Falls. To "dewater" the American Falls, officials would build a temporary cofferdam that would redirect the entire river flow to Horseshoe Falls.
"Dewatering is necessary for two reasons," the report says. "The existing 115-year old bridges need to be demolished. The river channel must be dewatered in order to demolish and remove the bridges.
"(And) the piers and abutments for the replacement bridges must be constructed 'in the dry,' to allow for safe construction procedures and to ensure that the new foundations are firmly anchored to bedrock."
0 comentarios: