Monday, November 26, 2012

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE ON THAT 70s BUILDING (PHOTOS)

Despite having begun construction more recently, Donohoe's That 70s Building is further towards completion than the Bainbridge Bethesda.

That 70s Building (a.k.a. The Gallery at Bethesda) will be located between Del Ray and Auburn Avenues.  As you can see in these photos, foundation work there is ahead of that which you saw in my Bainbridge update last week.

One other comparison of the projects raises a safety question: Why is the Miller and Long crane at the 70s Building site unlit, while the Bainbridge crane has red warning lights at night?

Does the proximity of the lit WHFS radio tower atop Triangle Towers exempt the 70s Building crane from safety lighting?  There is legitimate cause for concern.  Suburban Hospital and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center both draw heavy helicopter traffic, and are close by.

Should a helicopter not see the crane, the resulting crash could topple the crane.  Chopper and crane could both conceivably crash into the Palisades and Triangle Towers apartment buildings.  Catastrophe would be an understatement in such a disaster.

So, should that thing be lit at night? Or is the situation by the book?

I've read 62 pages of FAA structure lighting regulations, and there was no clear answer either way.

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