The bridge project took a huge step forward with the placement of three girders. The “bridge” you’ve been seeing across the White River is actually a temporary bridge. Giant girders were trucked into Sumner from the Port of Tacoma and in the middle of the night were put into place in their new location.
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- The “bridge” we’ve been seeing built over the past few months is actually a temporary bridge just to help build the new one.
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- On the right bank, the girders will come sit between those wire cages that will later get filled with concrete. The holes are for utilities running across the bridge.
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- The old bridge from the temporary bridge. The left bank has wood blocks where the new girders go and rebar that will interconnect with rebar on the girder.
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- The 220′ long girders were trucked in from Port of Tacoma.
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- With a special route, this work had to happen in the middle of the night because of clearance from WSDOT for the girders to travel on the freeways.
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- The girder carefully comes around onto Bridge Street from Main.
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- The truck takes the girder across the temporary bridge.
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- The float under the temporary bridge that also assists with construction.
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- The crew hooks the two cranes to the girder.
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- And undoes the chains holding the girder to the truck.
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- The crew hooks the two cranes to the girder.
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- The cranes lift the girder off the truck…
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- And toward its new resting place.
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- Moving careully over…
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- Starting to come down and threading the rebar together.
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- Down more…
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- And near its final location.
