by Chris Bodenner
In response to our post on the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, a reader inadvertently taps into the concerns of Postrel over "the reckless lack of accountability in public works projects":
Interesting item on China's new bridge. Let's contrast it to the rebuilding of the Eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
As you may recall, as a result of the Loma Prieta earthquake in October 1989, a section of the Bay Bridge collapsed, killing one driver. Officials decided to replace the eastern span. It took 13 years of politicians arguing over the design before construction even began in 2002. It will be completed in 2013. Final construction cost is now estimated to be about $6.2 billion. It will be about 2 miles long. So let's compare:
China: 26 miles; US: 2 miles
China: 4 years; US: 24 years
China: $1.5 billion; US: $6.2 billionWhat's wrong with this picture?
The Dish 