South Span Float In is History in the Making

Portsmouth area residents who witnessed the South Span floated in to the new Memorial Bridge understood they had just witnessed more history in the making as the $81.4 million project took another giant step forward.

"I think it's great progress," said Dan Morrison, president of Optima Bank and Trust. He said he has watched Archer Western Contractors crews work on the Memorial Bridge project from his office window near One Harbour Place since it began more than a year ago.

After seeing the first section successfully transported on the Cape Cod barge from the New Hampshire State Pier to the Scott Avenue approach on Tuesday morning, Morrison said the project is taking shape.

"This bridge has been an important part of Portsmouth for a long time and it's great to see them building a new one," he said.

Mark Biron of Somersworth, who said he works in the Thomas J. McIntyre federal building on Daniel Street, decided to take his morning break just before 9 a.m. when the South Span was scheduled to head down river so he could see it.

"It's amazing," said Biron as he watched Archer Western Contractors crews maneuver the South Span into place.

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, said she was very pleased to see the South Span floated in on Tuesday morning. She said the federal TIGER grant that provided the states of New Hampshire and Maine with the funding to do the project was the result of cooperation between former NH Gov. John Lynch and former Maine Gov. John Baldacci, as well as the Congressional delegations in both states and both states' departments of transportation.

Shaheen said the project shows that people can work together to accomplish good things when it really counts.

Portsmouth Mayor Eric Spear also came down to One Harbour Place and said that seeing the South Span put into place Tuesday morning made him reflect on everything that took place over the past year to get to this point.

"When this is back it will be exciting to have that connection again" between Portsmouth and Kittery, Maine, he said.

New Hampshire Department of Transportation Commissioner Chris Clement said he rode on the barge as it transported the South Span to its new home. He called it "the most amazing thing I have ever done."

Clement said the South Span represents such a huge milestone for the new Memorial Bridge project and it gives the community a real sense of what the new bridge will look like when it is completed on July 6.

Archer Western Contractors Project Manager Steve Del Grosso said he was pleased they were able to move the South Span on Tuesday during the slack tide. He said the Archer Western Contractors crews had perfect weather to get it done.

Del Grosso said 35 crew members will spend the balance of the day lining up the South Span with the Scott Avenue approach and two pier pilings during high tide. Then crew members will lower the jacks on the Cape Cod barge to slowly put the South Span into position. Once that happens, Del Grosso said the lift towers on the barge will be disassembled and the barge will return to the State Pier.

He said the steel for the North Span is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday and construction on the North Span, which will be placed on the Kittery, Maine side of the Piscataqua River, will begin on Thursday or Friday. Del Grosso said the North Span is scheduled to be floated in sometime in mid-March.