Barkat to consider bringing down J'lem bridge
Newly-elected Jerusalem mayor says city's modern Chords Bridge built for future light rail should not come at expense of culture, education, sanitation. Architect that worked on bridge says Barkat's comments misguided; bridge sign of progress
Many eyebrows were raised when newly-elected Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat announced that he would consider dismantling the city's Chords Bridge built for the soon-to-be-complete light rail.
In his first press conference since his election, Barkat addressed some of the city's issues, including his commitment to maintain the status quo in Jerusalem.
Regarding the Chords Bridge, that was completed in June 2008 at the cost of about NIS 245 million (US$ 63 million), Barkat said, "we must consider deeply and decide. There are no sacred cows as far as I'm concerned, I will act to-the-point.
"If tearing down the bridge is justified - it will come down. And if keeping it up is justified – it will stay up. It's important that Jerusalem's resources go to fields such as education, culture, and sanitation, which suffer a lack of funds and not to high expenses such as the bridge".
Chords Bridge at entrance to Jerusalem (photo: Gil Yohanan)
Architect David Kroyanker, who took part in the construction of the Chords Bridge, said Barkat's comments were misguided and unrealistic.
"The fact that a bridge is needed at the entrance of the city is completely obvious. The bridge is not just a monument; it is first of all a bridge that is meant to pass the light rail over the busiest junction in the country. The rail and the bridge are one. There's no Chords Bridge without the rail, and no rail without the Chords Bridge," he said.
"It was right to build something non-conventional that would transmit progress and vision. I always loved the bridge. It's elegant, light, and something about its shape even transmits modernity and secularity. The city is already flooded with banal symbols of menorahs, Stars of David, and objects shaped like the Old City's walls. This is something non-banal, non-haredi, and with esthetic culture," he added.
Kroyanker continued to say that from a practical point of view, Barkat's comments were even damaging. "With all the problems, delays and pain that is caused to the city's residents, I would expect Barkat to push the bridge forward and not pull it backwards.
:The bridge is already in an advanced stage, so why knock it down? It's simply irrelevant. A man who just started his term should be going forward and saying he will make sure the construction of the light rail's first line is completed as soon as possible. He should be working to promote the project, not to jam it."
