The Margaret McDermott Bridge was supposed to be open to pedestrians and bicyclists by now, but the arches over the Trinity River remain closed partially over concerns about broken cables.
The issue centers around problems with the cables -- and their resistance to heavy winds -- that connect the arch to the base of the Dallas bridge, which was designed by famed architect Santiago Calatrava and his firm. City officials played down the problem, but it has produced a year-and-a-half long dispute and voluminous correspondence between Calatrava, city officials and the Texas Department of Transportation.
The dispute was first reported by the Dallas Observer. The Dallas Morning News obtained much of the correspondence between the parties Tuesday, including a new letter TxDOT sent to the city on Tuesday.
In the letter, TxDOT says it will keep its contractor on site at cost to the city while they await a resolution. Michelle Raglon, a TxDOT spokeswoman, characterized the issue as relatively minor for the $113-million project.
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