Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge demolition underway
UPDATE: 3/15/17 5:13 P.M. Demolition of the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge on Highway 1 is now underway. Crews plan on working until sundown, but the may continue on Thursday morning if necessary.
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Caltrans suspended its demolition work Monday to re-configure the crane holding the wrecking ball that is being used to take down the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge.
According to Caltrans, crews need to make sure the 6,000 pound wrecking ball has the necessary force to demolish the bridge. Crews will attempt to resume work Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.
The wrecking ball will then be dropped in strategic places on the bridge.
“There’s a certain way we want the bridge to fall. We’d like to see it fall straight down into the canyon. It makes for a much easier recovery,” said Caltrans spokesperson Jim Shivers
It’s been more than a month since the bridge was damaged by winter storms and people in Big Sur who live south of the bridge have been cut off from civilization.
Highway one south of the Big Sur has also been plagued with problems.
Caltrans hopes to have the southern end open in a few weeks.
“Getting these pieces here, we’ll do that mainly from the south and as we talk about that, we are working on slide repair, roadway repair, much of these things will come from the south,” said Shivers.
The company that is demolishing the bridge is also replacing it. It is expected to be finished in the next nine to 12 months.
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The demolition of Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge on Monday with a wrecking ball is considered to be rare, according to officials.
Structural engineers said they have never seen anything like this before, but it’s considered the best and safest way to conduct a demolition because explosives are too risky.
According to officials, crews had to remove railways on the bridge to make room for the wrecking ball.
The 6,000 lb. steel wrecking ball will be lifter about 4 to 5 feet, then dropped down.
Officials said the replacement will be a single-span steel girder bridge that was designed in-house. It is estimated to be built in 9 to 12 months. The cost to build has not yet been determined.
