Roadtrippin' Colorado Style

With a rare Saturday off, I decided to wander out to the COSMIX work zone, where I found all sorts of interesting things to capture on film. The old NB bridge over Monument Creek, which was photographed being bypassed on my detour page, is in the process of coming down. While trying to get to a point where I could photograph this, I came across two girders en route to the Mark Dabling/NB 25 intersection. What luck! Got the girder installation photographed, too, but since they took forever to do it (which I understand: safety first. But still...), I ended up shooting into the sun for a few pics. Oh, well. You'll get the gist of what the workers are trying to do.

Let's photograph, shall we?

No, the exit hasn't moved. I caught the VMS mid-shift. It should read Rockrimmon Closed/Detour Exit 148A

Looking down the soon-to-be C/D road heading northbound.

Rockrimmon exit closed means girder installation today! Hope I can catch this on film.

Cheap sign. Someone get the duct tape!

Another shot of the detour route for NB 25.

Look to the front of the car: there's something missing here.

Looking at the old NB lanes while heading SB. The debris field has increased.

Looks like that access ramp has seen some heavy use, too.

A closer shot of the debris field and what the debris is from.

Funny, I could have sworn there was a bridge here before...

Another shot of the former NB bridge from the southbound lanes.

Exiting at Garden of the Gods, I catch up with a rogue bridge girder.

I'm digging the hand-lettered Stop sign the driver in the pilot car is waving at me.

City street, meet big-assed girder!

And the girder has a friend, too. I thought it best to get out of their way here, unlike those other 2 schmucks.

Looking down Mark Dabling towards I-25. There's three girders awaiting installation.

Doubling back to Garden of the Gods. Yes, you can get there from here, apparaently.

Now on the other side of the Mark Dabling closure. We'll park in the closest lot and hike to the girder install.

Walking the Monument Creek Trail now, we approach the I-25 crossing.

Here's a lesson in perspective for all you art students.

Another pile of debris. This time under the old SB lanes of the interstate.

Funny that that bridge can create this much debris.

The crews haven't fully removed the bridge. Looks like they're keeping the expansion part for a while.

Man, that's a lot of debris.

Looking down the former NB bridge in the same direction as traffic used to travel.

The expansion part of this bridge was held to the original bridge by these supports.

Looking up from under the old bridge.

Crews have already cut apart the expansion from the original bridge directly over the trail.

I dunno. I just like this picture.

Looking at the old NB brige from under the new NB C/D bridge, which is currently carrying NB 25.

Found this lying next to the trail. Makes more sense for this to be standing now, IMHO.

Now at the girder installation. Here's one of the three girders.

And here's the cranes.

Using one crane to lighten the counterweights of the other crane.

Wonder why they didn't just use the second crane to adjust its own load?

Distance pic of the crane.

Now I see why they didn't use that crane. Workers investigate where it sunk in the ground.

Using a front-end loader to push the crane level so it can be moved.

Looks like I caught a good oops in the making here!

With the crane out of the way, workers fill the uneven ground so the crane has somewhere solid to sit.

Adding more dirt.

The crane is brought back in.

Still not level, the crews max out the bracing arms of the crane.

And now what we've been waiting all this time for.

The truck drivers have to back that girder into place. Wouldn't want to do that!

Attaching the second crane to the girder.

If this was me, I would have gone headfirst off of that girder by now. Gravity and me don't get along well.

Removing the tiedowns to the truck.

Going up!

Sorry about the trees. This was as close as I wanted to get to the activity.

Now to bring it over a bit...

Checking one side to make sure its aligned.

An idea of how big these girders are.

The wind was really blowing today. That had to make this job difficult.

Awaiting girder placement.

Now that it's aligned, time to lower it into place.

A weird dance? Naaah. He's telling the crane op where to go with the girder.

Girder one in place. Now to anchor it.

While the first girder is anchored, the second girder is backed into position.

Girder one is anchored. Time to release the crane...

...and attach it to the next girder.

Slight problem: the main crane has to be moved about 20 feet back in order to hang the next girder.

While the crane gets moved, workers release the girder from the truck.

Due to the proximity of the tracks, work stops as a train rolls by.

For you railfans, the next two are for you: here's UP's engine #646...

...and UP's #666 is helping push the train.

Back to our constuction: the crane is moved and attached to the girder. Time to lift!

Nice and easy, there's more obstacles this time.

Still raising.

Distance silhouette shot.

Level with the first girder placed.

Still raising to clear the guide wires on top of the first girder.

Time to swing to the left.

Up and over now.

This is quite a delicate operation.

Is it me or is the right crane too close to the girder?

The clanging and grinding noises confirm that. Oops.

Obviously hitting the crane didn't cause any major issues as the girder continues to its new home.

Lowering into place.

Let's play "Find the two construction workers!".

Lowering the right side to make sure its aligned correctly.

Almost there...

Touchdown!