The Main Street Bridge—What Remains to be Done

Here are the major tasks that need to be completed on the Main Street bridge before it can open.

• Millwrights and steel workers— all attention now focused on the Brockport bridge since the Albion bridge has opened to traffic,

 

• Lifting posts south side in place, north side erecting underway

 

• Counterweights (giant metal box filled with metal ballast plates)—north side is complete; on the south side several ballast plates have to be trimmed 3/8 inch. The counter weight boxes are in place in the north and south pits.

 

• Bridge deck grating, open steel panels to be secured with ¼” gap between panels

 

• Bridge sidewalk decking and ornamental railings to be installed. Bridge sidewalk grating will be fiberglass, non-slip surface, ADA compliant

 

• Stair towers need to be reassembled; ladders into the pits need to be installed on the concrete walls.

 

• Control tower—finish roof and inside, assemble and install operations equipment

 

• Complete conduit runs and wiring to the pits, install access ladders to pits on concrete pit walls, install aluminum pit access doors.

 

• Install wire rope operating Cables around sheaves, and up through lifting posts.

 

• Navigation lights to be mounted on both sides of bridge

 

• Concrete work to be completed: the pedestals on which the bridge rests, a concrete poured cap/slab over the pits once everything in the pits is assembled; the village sidewalk on the south side of the bridge.

 

• Pave south parking lot and stripe parking spots.

 

• Fine tuning—place and secure “balance blocks” on top of the counterweight boxes as part of the final balancing of the bridge. This will be just before the final testing of the bridge.

 

• Installation of overhead Traffic Signals in conjunction with crossing gate arms, to stop vehicle traffic when bridge is to be raised for vessels operating on the canal

 

• 2-3 weeks of operational testing (lifting and lowering bridge, operating controls, etc) before the bridge can open.

 

• Massive end of project paint touchup on the bridge, including painting every nut and bolt.

 

• Final finishing touches, mounting of historical plaque back onto upper truss of bridge, indicating the original date of manufacture and 1915 build date.

 

Sheave which turns the cables controlling the counterweights (are two at each end of bridge)

Counterweight box (minus ballast plates) being lowered into pit.