Suspension Bridge Completion

We wrapped up putting the new deck on the suspension bridge this week.  What a process.  Andy and I spent a total of 7 days working in what were not always some pleasant conditions.  Sub-zero temperatures, crawling up underneath spots where usually only trolls go, dangling out 25 feet up over a frozen river channel on a thin piece of steel, and hanging upside down with power tools, at times made for a pretty interesting project.  We learned a lot about bridge construction to say the least.

Andy rockin' the air guitar with the
last old plank that was removed.

With the vegetation dead for the season, you get a good view of the
scarp that is forming on the south side of the coulee bank as it
continues to slide off into the bottom.  I am moderately concerned
for the bridge tower pilings on that side in the coming years....

With the constant threat of flooding, we decided to bolt down the two ends
of the bridge to the concrete pilings by the towers.  We drilled and inserted
4, 16" long concrete anchors into each side in an effort to keep the bridge from
floating and damaging itself in during a flood.

Andy out on a beam grinding off old bolt heads.

I personally get my kicks from our 16" beam saw.  Each plank had to be custom
cut to fit since each bridge section was a slightly different length.  The saw really
came in handy at the end as we had to rip the last few planks lengthwise
to get them to fit right.

Getting started with the new decking.

Finished product.

The inaugural crossing with one of our new gators.

After spending over a week working on the bridge, I have to say how glad I am that the board approved the replacement of the wooden decking this fall.  With the amount of rot, warping, and broken/rusted off bolts in the old surface, the bridge was a disaster waiting to happen.  Not to mention the visual appearance which in and of itself made the bridge scary to drive across.  The new planks are SOLID, well anchored to the bridge frame, and most importantly, pressure treated for a lifetime guarantee against rot.

Next spring we will likely look into replacing a few of the very badly bent steel hangers (the vertical rods coming down from the suspension cable that actually support the bridge) and then cleaning up and painting the rest of them.  We will also be installing a new cable railing system out of some thicker and stronger cable than what had been used in the past.

While it was certainly a very fun project, I think I can safely say that Andy and I are ready to head into the shop and work on projects where there is a heater for the next 4 months....