The process for removing the original beams under the old Amtrak railroad bridge was trickier than expected, but on the second try they finally came down. With that move, the two new railroad bridges, higher than the one old one, took stage center.
Everything had been in place Saturday night, Jan. 12, for taking down old beams. All the unnecessary elements had already been removed from the old structure, which was built in 1928.
Notices were posted for the traffic detour earlier that week. Route 1 was closed down at 9 p.m. The 25,000-volt wires above the railroad tracks were de-energized for safety. Portable lighting was in place. Two flatbed trucks were in position in front of the bridge (on the side toward town) as was Smedley’s big Grove crane.
Smedley Crane & Rigging of Branford has been in business since 1860. Whenever you see a crane on a construction job in the area, chances are it’s one of Smedley’s. In fact, there’s a local adage: if you’re in a tight spot or on the floor and can’t get up, you “Call Smedley!”
Jan Pacanski, resident engineer (pictured) AI Engineers Inc., said they had to be very precise – there was not much room to work. He added that he had the original blueprints in hand and that the bridge had a design date of February 1926.
However, on Sunday early morning travelers along Route 1 were greeted by the sight of the old beams still in place.
After trying several settings the project was scrapped that night and rescheduled for Jan. 19. And this time, all went according to plan.
Earlier in the week Patrick Carufe, AI’s chief inspector, said this time two cranes would be used, one on each side of the bridge. Indeed they were in place Saturday night, the 275-ton Grove crane on the north (downtown) and the 120-ton Liebherr crane on the south side.
It took just about three hours of preparation before the first beam came down. Keep in mind that the work was taking place within the tight confines of the old and new bridge beams. Discussions were held.
Wires needed to be taken down. The boom of the crane was positioned and repositioned. Straps and cables were hung from cables of the boom around the beam as workers shuttled back and forth in a Genie scissors lift.
The remaining old bolts holding it in place were severed. Measurements were taken and retaken. And finally the workers had to wait for the last Amtrak train to pass through; that happened at exactly 12:15 a.m.
After that, a forklift was positioned under the beam and gently nudged it loose.
Then the beam was slowly lifted off the abutment.
And lowered to the street.
Slowly. Very slowly.
It was lifted again and pivoted to line up with the waiting flatbed truck.
Finally, the old beam was carefully placed on the bed of the truck
Given the amount of preparation, the actual lift took very little time.
In the next week or so, the old concrete supports will removed and we’ll finally get an idea of what the finished roadway will look like.
The original bridge had a height of 13 feet, 1 inch. More than a few trucks unfamiliar with the location got stuck trying to pass underneath it and traffic was known to back up as a driver gauged clearances. Larger trucks detoured through local roads.
The new bridge will be 14 feet, 6 inches, which should alleviate the “stuck vehicle” problem.
But it will be a while before two lanes will resume heading into town.
Just beyond the bridge, on the left heading into town, the shallow Mill Creek streambed, which has been the source of flooding for years under the bridge, is being reconstructed as required by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. According to Pacanski, the new culvert and reservoir with its “huge capacity” will prevent flooding.
Pacanski added that the work in the middle of the road in front of Branhaven Shopping Center is being done by AT&T, which is putting in a new manhole to replace the old one displaced with the road was widened.
So once the first beam came down and was secured on the flat bed, workers turned their attention to the second beam. At that point this reporter and photographer headed home to warm beds. And according to Pacanski, the second half of the show went off with “no squeak.” He said it was over by 2 a.m. and the road was clear by 4 a.m.
There was a new view for those passing along Route 1 Sunday morning.
The project is a joint venture of JF White/Empire Construction of Framingham, Mass., along with the Department of Transportation and Amtrak. Pacanski said the project, which began in August 2009, is slightly ahead of schedule and will “probably be finished” by the end of the year.
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I love these articles detailing this complicated engineering marvel. I wish we could have had reporters on the bridge through the construction on the Q.
This bridge has been choking development in Branford for a long, long time. While I'm not too thrilled with the resulting changes that this improved road access will bring, it's been long overdue and I'm grateful that the funds and Amtrak/government relations made this possible.
Will there be a decent sidewalk under this bridge? I picked up an elderly woman a couple weeks ago as she was trying to walk from Kohl's to Cedar St. It was dark and the bridge traffic was certainly intimidating for this poor woman, though many drivers were making sure they were cautious once they spotted her.