Dutch transport engineering specialist Mammoet has successfully transported three bridge sections as part of work to replace the Portal North Bridge in New Jersey, USA.
With Mammoet working alongside Skanska-Traylor joint venture and Carver Marine, the sections will eventually replace the bridge, which is a century old and is a notorious bottleneck that has continued to cause delays for trains travelling in the surrounding areas.
Each measuring over 120 m, the bridge sections were transported from the assembly site at the port of Coeymans to the roll-on location, before being loaded onto a barge and moved down the Hudson River. Once at the temporary mid-river staging area, the sections were loaded onto another barge which was configured using a Mammoet Mega Jack system, with each section being jacked 14-16 cassettes high and positioned by tugboats and winches.
Finally, the sections were lowered onto their columns, with the each of the end bridge sections also being slide into place using Mammoet’s slide track systems. The Mega Jack allowed quick operations, which was key given the river’s frequent tidal changes.
“The bridge section’s relocation and successful loading onto the barge demanded careful planning and close coordination with Skanska and Carver, and we’re proud to report a seamless operation,” said Sidney King, Mammoet’s project manager for the Portal North Bridge project.
Mammoet has recently purchased a pair of Eco500 vehicles from Cometto.
