Memorial Bridge Counterweights to be Installed

As April draws to a close, Archer Western Contractors crews continue to make great progress on the new Memorial Bridge and next month they will install the 500-ton counterweights after completing the North Span and South Span towers.

Carol Morris, a spokesperson for the contractor, issued an update on the bridge construction progress where she she wrote in an e-mail, "Installation of the two counterweights for the bridge, and counterweight sheaves that allow the counterweights to travel up and down inside the tower, will be installed during May."

Meanwhile, crews continue to build the center span at the New Hampshire State Pier and the motors that will be used to lift the counterweights up and down for the center span, Morris wrote.

Morris said the construction crews are also making progress on the new bridge's sidewalks, control house and utilities that are needed to operate the new span.

Iron workers are currently completing the final vertical alignment of the two structures. This should be complete in the next two weeks.

"Concrete has been placed on both spans that are in place and the sidewalks will be completed in May. The steel structure of the Control House, where New Hampshire DOT staff will control the openings of the center lift span via computer, is complete and crews are now working on closing in the building with wall panels and windows. Electrical work also continues on the two spans and in the Control House," she wrote.

Morris noted that crews are also getting closer to installing utilities such as drainage, gas, water and curb work for the re-built roadways. She wrote in her e-mail this work will begin in May and continue until the bridge opens later this summer. 

Earlier, Archer Western Contractors and New Hampshire Department of Transportation officials said the new Memorial Bridge is scheduled to open on July 5. But Morris indicated no firm date has been scheduled for the actual bridge opening.

"...the bridge is scheduled to be open to traffic this summer. The exact schedule for opening will not be available until a few weeks prior to the date; we will keep everyone informed regularly as we get closer to the opening," Morris wrote.

Archer Western Contractors will have to pay the New Hampshire Department of Transportation $25,000 per day for every day the bridge is not finished after July 5. Morris said people who want to learn more information about the Memorial Bridge construction project can visit More information on the bridge construction project can be found at www.memorialbridgeproject.com.