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| Port Mann Bridge #1 in bright orange, March 2014, by DG Hudson |
The old bridge on the right is being disassembled. The exposed concrete support now shows under the orange and yellow equipment in the image, since one large section has been removed. Construction on the original Port Mann Bridge began in 1957, was completed in 1964, and closed in 2012. The new bridge has greater capacity, and a more efficient design including an HOV lane. Tolls for most cars are $3 each way. Free old bridge to tolled new bridge, we will go from six lanes to ten when all are completed. There are still bridge construction 'holdups' at various times, a part of life in the big city.
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| Pt Mann Bridge #1 (Orange girders) 2014, and cabled Pt. Mann Bridge #2, DG Hudson |
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The upright supports on the right of the image are loosely strung with cables and form part of the equipment used in stripping the road surface and removing the orange girders. Not sure if any of the bridge pieces are being recycled for another use. Perhaps that explains the slow demo, aside from the reality of those guys working over deep water, the Fraser River.
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| Bridge Cables overlap the old Port Mann bridge and the supports by DG Hudson |
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Shown below is a section of the old bridge with the supports which are assisting in the dismantling or disassembly of the roadway and the arching orange girders. Orange made the bridge more visible on those gray wet days that we get in Vancouver, aka rainforest country.
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| Port Mann Bridge Disassembly Closeup 2014, Vancouver, by DG Hudson |
It's interesting to watch the process when something is being dismantled, as opposed to being demolished. Bridges spanning large rivers or small water sources are one of the things I like about both Vancouver and Paris.
Happy St. Patrick's Day, if you indulge. And watch out for the greenies. . .
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Are you a fan of bridges? Have you ever seen a bridge disassembled?
Please share in the comments and thanks for dropping by!
Are you in the A to Z Challenge yet? If you are, I'll see you there.
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This post is an update of previous posts. Links to those are:
Port Mann Bridge - 1st Update
http://dghudson-rainwriting.blogspot.ca/2013/02/pt-mann-bridge-update-vancouver-views.html
Bridge Across Fraser River and Crepes
http://dghudson.blogspot.ca/2012/06/bridge-across-fraser-river-and-crepes.html
History of the Port Mann Bridge.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Mann_Bridge
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