10 Jul West Townshend Stone Arch Bridge: Week 1
Posted at 12:46h
in Uncategorized
An excited energy filled the air on Monday, June 3rd as the Standing Stone crews began to roll onto the scene of the Stone Arch Bridge Renovation in Townshend, VT.
The first week was full of activity, seeing some of the crews making sure that all of the staging and material holding areas were clear and prepared for the arrival of the excavation equipment and building materials, while the others worked on getting erosion control and water mitigation measures in place.
As the early part of the week progressed, the area around the river was cleared of debris and the material needed to build the form that will support the bridge during the renovation process was lowered in to place.
(Play the video to the right to watch the equipment at work)
The next phase of the week included setting large granite blocks in the river bed upon which the framework of the support structure for the arch will be built. This was accomplished by lowering the blocks over the edge of the bridge with a large excavator, and then moved into their proper locations in the same way that large stones were moved in ancient times...by sheer willpower, major muscular force, and some strategically handled manual tools.
The final phase of the inaugural week of the Stone Arch Bridge Project saw the removal of the concrete apron at the bases of the arch span. Due to the inevitable forces of time and from the continual battering of the river, the apron had become degraded so badly that it became necessary for it to be removed in it's entirety and to ultimately be replaced with a more stable base.
With the placement of the building blocks and the removal of the concrete apron, the stage has been set for the next phase of the operation...the construction of the framework that will support the arch during reconstruction and provide a scaffolding network for the masons to work safely from.
Stay tuned for more updates, information, and exciting new pictures and videos from the job site in beautiful Townshend, VT!
