Barge crane in position to tackle bridge towers.
A 750-ton crane barge arrived Monday to assist with the next phase of dismantling the Memorial Bridge.
The crane will be used to dismantle the two towers once used to raise and lower the bridge’s center span. The towers must come down before the two fixed spans can be floated out. The crane was expected to arrive several weeks ago, but Archer Western spokeswoman Carol Morris said late last week that high seas contributed to the delay in bringing the crane up from the Boston area.
N.H. Department of Transportation project manager Keith Cota has said work on the towers is slated to last five to six weeks. Pulleys at the top of the towers and the framework that holds them in place will be removed first, he said.
Next to come down will be the 250-ton counterweights that sit atop each tower. They are held by steel beams put in place as part of the center span’s float-out. The counterweights are no longer connected to anything.
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