(Host) Tentative plans have been announced for the center arch of the new Lake Champlain Bridge to begin its four-hour float to the bridge site next week.
The center arch of the bridge is under construction off-site in Port Henry, New York. Next week it will be lifted onto barges and floated to the bridge site, where it will be lifted into place and secured.
New York State Transportation spokesman William Reynolds says work will begin at sunrise and extend into the early evening hours. The process to raise the nearly 2 million pound structure will happen slowly over the course of eight hours. Reynolds says the public is welcome to watch:
(Reynolds) "What the public will see will be a very slow but deliberate and careful process of floating the arch structure on barges downstream to the bridge abutments where the arch will be lifted by cable and then set into place. But it’s a very exciting time and an important milestone in the life of this project."
(Host) Reynolds says parking will be limited however. While the work is underway, the main navigational channel under the bridge will be closed for 48 hours. And there could be disruptions to vehicular traffic as well.
A date for the float and will be set as the assembly of the arch is completed, and may change depending on weather conditions.