The trusses were removed from Brockport’s Main Street bridge on Wednesday, August 2. The job required the use of a 600-ton crane which crew members finished assembling on Tuesday.
The first step was to remove the floor beam in the middle of the bridge. Then the west truss was attached by cables to a spreader beam and, in turn, attached by the same cables to the crane. The truss was cut with a torch above the floor beams at each end of the bridge, then lifted over the canal and Main Street trailhead to the cleared property at 7 North Main where it was lowered onto temporary truss supports. The west truss was moved in the morning and the east truss in the afternoon.
All navigation on the canal was restricted during the operation on Wednesday. Boats were held at the Park Avenue bridge going west, and at the Holley lift bridge going east. Flaggers were on the canal and on the canal path for pedestrians when the trusses were being swung over.
The trusses each weigh 87,115 pounds; including the spreader beam and its rigging, the total weight is 96,413 pounds. A 5% safety factor is figured in to bring the total weight with safety factor to 101,600 pounds.
The trusses will be refurbished on site at 7 North Main. The bottom chords will be replaced along with one or two of the diagonals and the trusses sandblasted to remove the lead paint.
Provided information
Photo by John Payne
