Westford.july21

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Westford's Bridge Has Returned to River!

Westford. Photo by Joe Nelson July 20, 2001Friday, July 20 - The Bridge is up on wheels and is being prepared for towing. →















Westford. Photo by Joe Nelson July 20, 2001 View of east end of bridge as towing arrangements are being completed. →















Westford. Photo by Caroline Brown July 20, 2001 The big move is underway as the bridge caravan inches its way down hill to the crossing place. →













Westford. Photo by Caroline Brown July 21, 2001 Standing on the highway bridge, the bridge is being transferred off of the wheels and onto "I"-beams in preparation to move it sideways toward the prepared abutments.
The bridge stood on the "I"-beams half-way to the abutments overnight. One lane of the highway bridge was opened to traffic.→





















Westford. Photo by Joe Nelson July 21, 2001 Saturday, July 21 - The bridge, still on the "I"- beams, is positioned over the abutments.
Phil Peirce, P.E. the Consulting Engineer and covered bridge specialist on the project, watches the work in progress from the highway bridge rail.→














Westford. Photo by Joe Nelson July 21, 2001 Caroline Brown, Westford Historical Society president, enjoys the "big day." She has been working toward this event for fourteen years. →
















Westford. Photo by Joe Nelson July 21, 2001 With "I"-beams removed, the bridge stands high over the abutments on cribbing alone.→















Westford. Photo by Joe Nelson July 21, 2001 The bridge is lowered into place as the cribbing is removed with aid of jacks. →















Westford. Photo by Caroline Brown July 21, 2001 The Messier House Moving team and the Renaud Brothers contractors team work together smoothly.→
















Westford. Photo by Caroline Brown July 21, 2001 The bridge has been lowered as close to abutments as the jacks will allow. Next, oak bedding timber will be placed under the chords buffering them from contact with the concrete. The last of the cribbing and the jacks will be removed and the bridge will be lowered onto bedding timbers using lifting balloons. →














Westford. Photo by Joe Nelson July 21, 2001 Bridge interior. The K-braces will be removed and the floor completed. →















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Work is Completed on the Browns River Bridge

Westford. Photo by Caroline Brown July 25, 2001 With bedding timbers in place, the abutment work is complete. →















Westford. Photo by Caroline Brown July 27, 2001 Landscaped, barriers up . . . just some fencing, grass and flowers needed. →















Westford. Photo by Caroline Brown July 30, 2001 LAST BOARD DOWN! July 30, 2001!!! It is finished! →















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Joe Nelson, P.O Box 267, Jericho, VT 05465-0267, jcnelson@together.net
Copyright © 2001, Caroline Brown
This file revised July 22, 2001