45
TRANSPORT
SITE REPORT
DECEMBER 2013
ACT
For this bridge, the four main pieces were
put in place in 48 hours, and complete
bridge replacement was done in two
weeks. It’s way less grief for public users.”
Bay Crane’s crew hauled out two
sections at a time, using a six-axle
steerable dolly, a four-axle tractor and a
six-axle jeep, he said.
“We had both rigs set up the same
way,” he said. “We hauled the first two
on a Wednesday and then went back and
delivered the second two sections on a
Friday.”
Leading bridge fabricator
The route was 223 miles from the Fort
Miller Company in Easton, NY to the
bridge site at Interstate 81 over Preble
Road in Cortland.
“Fort Miller is one of the leading type of
fabricators who are addressing this type of
need for rapid bridge replacement,”
he said.
S
cores of bridges have been
deemed insufficient in the
United States, which means
bridge replacement is big business. Bay
Crane has been involved in several bridge
replacement projects, most recently in
Cortland, NY.
The scope of the job was to transport
four sections, two interior spans and two
exterior spans with walls. The exterior
sections weighed 100 tons each and the
interior sections weighed 90 tons each.
Falling in the category of Rapid Bridge
Replacement, the four sections, put into
place, means a complete bridge, according
to Gregg Barry, vice president for Bay
Crane, based in Long Island City, NY.
“It used to be that a bridge would be
closed down and traffic diverted until
a new one could be built, which could
be a long time,” he said. “But today, you
can put up a 42-foot-wide, 90-foot-long
bridge and do it completely in two weeks.
Bay Crane hauled four
bridge sections for a
Rapid Bridge Replacement
project in Cortland, NY.
Bay Crane’s crew hauled out two sections
at a time, using a six-axle steerable dolly,
a four-axle tractor and a six-axle jeep.
Quick bridge haul
The interior sections were 12-foot,
6-inches in width and 87-feet-long while
the exterior sections were 87-feet-long but
10-feet, 6 inches in width.
Two escorts, a state police escort and a
service truck were a part of the convoy,
which was allowed to travel during
normal business hours.
The sections were loaded onto the
trailer system at the Fort Miller plant by
two cranes owned and operated by the
company.
At the bridge site a 500-ton AC Terex
Demag 550 unloaded and placed the
bridge sections.
“It was a great project,” said Barry.
“When you start a job like this, your
adrenalin is up. It’s like getting ready for a
big football game. The demands are tough
but once you are done there’s a feeling of
satisfaction for what was accomplished.
Within a week of the job being
completed Bay Crane received a letter
from the client thanking them for their
work.
“Your guys busted their [butts] while
here and once on the road. They are
good men. Hardworking, dedicated,
well mannered. They are welcome here
any time. You can be assured that they
represent Bay Crane very well, both at our
plant and on the jobsite.”
■
Two escorts, a state police escort and a
service truck were a part of the convoy,
which was allowed to travel during normal
business hours.
