March 2022 Third Avenue Bridge Project Photos by Doug Verdier, Part 2

Submitted by Doug Verdier, who continues to document the Third Avenue Bridge refurbishment project.

This series of photos shows the removal of the artificial “island” created around the base of one of the Third Avenue Bridge piers to enable workers, equipment and materials access to the base of the pier below the water line to rebuild the base. The whole removal process took several days. Good weather helped, but crews worked day and night.

In this “before” photo, machinery, structures and equipment boxes can be seen lining the gravel island that was built prior to work being started on the base. A ladder tower was also constructed to enable workers access to the work area. All heavy equipment and materials were lowered throughout the project to the work area by tower cranes (red structure in top center of photo).

Much of the materials, equipment boxes and the white structure have been removed from the island by the crane. The yellow excavator is beginning to pull gravel from the edges of the island to enable the crews to remove it. The excavator, which was lowered to the island by crane, is shown building a pile of gravel that it will sit on while removing gravel from around it.

Just above the excavator are two hoppers being lowered by the red tower crane. The excavator operator will fill each hopper many times during the next couple of days (and nights) so the gravel can be taken up to the bridge, loaded onto dump trucks, and hauled away. Note the edges of the island are shrinking.

This photo shows the smaller island as gravel continues to be hauled out of the river. But also note that the ladder that once stood on the island is gone. Look up above the bridge just to the right of the red crane tower and you will see the ladder tower as it is being removed and lowered onto the bridge.

Another shot of the shrinking island. Two workers remained on the site (the excavator operator and a spotter) throughout the removal of the gravel. As the level of the gravel bed beneath the excavator got lower, the tracks of the excavator were standing in water while the remaining gravel was scooped up and hauled above in the hoppers that were lowered from the crane above throughout the operation.

Almost done! Both the excavator and the worker next to it are now standing in river water flowing down stream. More gravel was scooped up and hauled up as dusk approached. When the removal was finished, the two workers hooked up the excavator to cables lowered by the crane and watched as it was hauled slowly and carefully up to the bridge. They remained on the submerged remnants of the island until a smaller container was lowered to them to return to the bridge. Well Done!