Pfeiffer Canyon bridge progress relying on special technique

Caltrans consultant Bob Riggins has been in the construction business for 35 years.

The new Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge brought him from Redding to Big Sur.

“This is probably one of the most unique bridges I’ve worked on,” Riggins said. “There’s over 900 tons of steel in there.”

The most daunting task, sliding the girders across the canyon in one piece, has never been done in California.

The technique is mostly used in Europe and Canada. Engineers said the width of Pfeiffer Canyon, 310 feet, turned out to be perfect for it.

“If it had been another 100 feet, it probably would have been a whole different kind of design,” Riggins said.

This will also help avoid what caused the last bridge to crumble. Past winter storms triggered landslides and damaged the bridge’s columns. It was demolished in March.

“We anticipate it’s still moving. If we don’t span the entire canyon, it’s going to do that to the next bridge,” Riggins said.

Five months into this job, crews can’t rest just yet.

“We need to lower it. We are anticipating, if everything goes on schedule, by Saturday we should have that done,” Riggins said.

After that, they will build the roadway deck on top, working around the clock to reconnect Big Sur.

“We’ve been working on schedules all weekend and all week trying to find ways to bring subcontractors in and still make that Sept. 30 date. Everybody out here wants to make (it),” Riggins said.

But Caltrans said there is a chance that the completion date will be pushed back to some time in October.