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Winds delay work to dismantle old Johnson Street Bridge

Workers removing the old Johnson Street Bridge had to stand down Tuesday after winds proved too strong to use the massive crane known as the Dynamic Beast — brought in for the job from Vancouver.
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Crews work Monday as demolition of the old Johnson Street Bridge got underway, assisted by the Dynamic Beast crane barge, visible at right. The new bridge will be closed today 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. because of the demolition work.

Workers removing the old Johnson Street Bridge had to stand down Tuesday after winds proved too strong to use the massive crane known as the Dynamic Beast — brought in for the job from Vancouver.

The task began Monday and was due for completion today, but now will continue into Thursday, said project manager Jonathan Huggett. Winds reached 43 kilometres an hour at the top of the crane on Tuesday morning, well above the safety limit of 25 km/h.

“We shut it down for the whole day,” Huggett said.

The plan for Tuesday had been to lift the main span of the old bridge to disconnect it from the tower connected to the bridge’s large concrete counterweight.

After that is done, the span can be removed.

Wind was also an issue when the Dynamic Beast was in Victoria for the installation of the new bridge, Huggett said.

“You lift 300 or 400 tonnes of steel in the air with lots of workers around, you don’t want that thing swinging.”

The structure of the old bridge should be completely removed by about mid-May, Huggett said.

One of the elements that will remain after this week is the counterweight, which weighs 850 tonnes.

“The only way we can get it off is to jackhammer it off in place,” Huggett said.

That effort will start next week.

“Once all that is off, the crane will come back again in mid-May and it will lift the final tower and the approach span on the east side off,” he said.

“And then the whole lot will be gone.”

Also starting next week, crews will begin excavation for the new park area on the west side of the bridge near the Delta Ocean Point Hotel.

Metal from the old bridge will be sent for recycling by Dynamic Heavy Lift, the company that owns the Dynamic Beast.

The new span will be closed to all users while the crane is being used. That work is scheduled for 9 a.m.-4 p.m. today and Thursday, meaning people should plan on taking alternate routes.

There could also be closures after 6 p.m. on both days.

jwbell@timescolonist.com