Delay in Memorial Bridge Construction

The Memorial Bridge middle lift span will be floated in a week later than originally scheduled, according to Archer Western Contractors officials.

According to Carol Morris, an Archer Western Contractors spokesperson, Archer Western Contractors officials announced Tuesday that the float-in of the new Memorial Bridge center span is now scheduled for Monday, June 17.

She wrote in an e-mail the change in schedule means that the five-day river closure coordinated with the United States Coast Guard (USCG)  will now start at 1 a.m. June 17 and continue through 1 a.m. on June 22.

"The revised schedule is the result of equipment repairs necessary on one of the large cranes.  The crane was supporting work on the north tower construction that is critical to center span float-in when it was taken out of service early Saturday. Delivery of replacement parts was expedited and the crane was moved to the NH State Pier where the repairs will be completed by the end of Tuesday," Morris wrote in her e-mail.

Morris noted that although the four-day turnaround for repairs is relatively fast, the work made the originally scheduled June 10 float-in date impossible to meet. The new date was coordinated with the Coast Guard so that the channel closure would not take place during the weekend, she wrote.

While the float-in will be delayed, AWC Project Manager Stephen DelGrosso said it is too early to tell if the bridge opening date will be affected. “We still expect to open the bridge to traffic in July,” he said.

The USCG communications on the schedule adjustment is attached to this document for the public’s information.