Macdonald Bridge's first new deck nearly ready for Big Lift
38 new decks will be installed one by one, starting in September
Managers and board members of Halifax Harbour Bridges got their first look at the replacement decks for the Macdonald Bridge on Wednesday.
The new sections are being constructed at Cherubini Metal Works in Dartmouth, N.S.
The first one, called D-1, is almost finished. It's the first of 38 panels the company has to complete for the Big Lift project.
"It's like a car assembly line that we have going here." said Steven Ross, the general manager for Cherubini. "We start with smaller parts and build up to bigger parts."
Work begins on the bottom of the deck section and then cranes flip the 150-tonne section over so more welding can take place.
The U.S.-based company in charge of the overall construction job is pleased with the fabrication work.
"So far so good. Work looks good." said John Callaghan, project manager for American Bridge. "As you can see and hear, the first piece is taking shape."
Within a few weeks, the first section should be ready to be moved to the temporary painting and paving tents on Cherubini's property. But first the doors of the fabrication shop have to be adjusted.
"The bridge is about 65 feet wide, but our doors are about 60 feet wide," explained Ross. "So we're actually modifying our doors over the next few weeks to make them wider to get the panels outside."
Cherubini plans to have four or five sections completed by the time the replacement stage gets underway in September.