53,000-pound truss from lift bridge moved by huge crane in Albion

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A 53,000-pound truss from the Main Street lift bridge in Albion was moved to land just north of the canal today.

The much-anticipated project had been delayed by windy conditions in recent days. Today there is barely any wind and Clark Rigging & Rental was able to use a big crane with a 400-ton capacity.

The 115-foot-long truss on the east side rises in the air above the truss on the west side.

Before the truss was picked up by the crane, an employee with BVR Construction Company in Churchville cut the end free on the north side. BVR is doing the structural steel work on the bridge rehabilitation.

The truss is slowly lifted above wires and the tower, to be set on land on the north side of the canal.

The truss is set on a cradle where BVR can more easily work on replacing the bottom steel beam. Most of the diagonal steel beams also will be replaced. The top beam doesn’t need to be replaced and is in good shape because it doesn’t have much exposure to road salt.

Click here for a short YouTube video of the truss being hoisted in the air.

Jon Long, engineer in charge for the state Department of Transportation, said the trusses will be worked on over several months and expected to be reset over the canal in late August or September. At that point they will have new steel on the bottom and most of the diagonal pieces.

BVR will also put in new stringers, a new deck (flooring system) and cross beams and the bridge will be repainted.

Crane-Hogan Structural Systems in Spencerport is the general contractor for the project and will be doing the concrete work on each side of the bridge, as well as ordering the materials for the project.

BVR is a subcontractor doing the structural steel work. O’Connell & Electric will be doing the electrical work, which is primarily with the lifting system.

The 18-month rehabilitation project started in November. The Brockport lift bridge on main Street will be getting a similar overhaul with that bridge expected to close in April. It also will be taken apart and moved offsite on land for most of the repair and replacement work.

DOT staff and many of the workers took videos of the truss being removed at about 11:45 a.m. The other truss is expected to be lifted this afternoon.