Removing the Main Street Bridge Trusses (by Mayor Blackman)

Is on schedule for tomorrow, August 2^nd.  The assembly of the 600 ton crane that will do the job is being completed today.  First thing tomorrow, the floor beam in the middle of the bridge will be removed (see photo), then the west truss will be attached by cables to a spreader beam, in turn, attached by the same cables to the crane.  The truss will be cut with a torch above the floor beams at each end of the bridge, then lifted over the canal and Main Street trailhead to the cleared property at 7 North Main where it will be lowered onto temporary truss supports.  The west truss will be moved between 9am and 11am, the east truss between noon and 2 pm.

All navigation on the canal, per the canal corp, will be restricted between 8:20 and 2pm Wednesday.  Boats will be held at the Park Avenue bridge going west, and at the Holley lift bridge, going east.  Flaggers will be present on the canal and on the canal path for pedestrians when the trusses are being swung over.

The trusses each weigh 87,115 lbs; including the spreader beam and its rigging, the total weight is 96,413 lbs.  A 5% safety factor is figured in to bring the total weight with safety factor to 101,600 lbs.