New Bridge , Old bridgeLarge Boats still unable to pass through the bridge since river traffic was closed for bridge replacment. But the Coast Guard is planning a meeting Wednesday of the Harbor Safety Working Group for all parties involved.
Workers replacing the movable drawbridge span with a lift-span bridge ran into problems last week while dismantling the bridge's massive concrete counterweight.Workers were supposed to change out the old span with the new span this week, disrupting train service for four days, but that is now on hold.
That means the bridge, which has been closed since June 1, remains a barrier for large vessels that need a clearance of more than 30 feet to access the Thames River north of the bridge.Amtrak contractor had planned to use industrial diamond wire saws to cut the concrete into pieces. But failed to cut through the quarter-sized pieces of steel that had been punched out of larger slabs and inserted into the concrete for reinforcement. Instead, workers have been using a large jackhammer to demolish the concrete little by litte, a much slower process.
Photographed by Mark Beebe, June 11, 2008.
Added to the photo archive by Mark Beebe, June 17, 2008.
Railroad: Amtrak.
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