I was pretty sad cuz I thought they wouldn't let me go cuz of my arm, but I decided to be a man and ask if I could go. They said of course, if you feel up to it.
Oh yes, I felt up to it!
So off we went.
This was the second to last pour all covered up...
They were tying the steel for the last pour..
(Some big boss people who think they know everything are proud of their fat feet that allow them to navigate freely over tied reinforcement)
We got to climb down into the girder (Akiko's husband is in the orange shirt behind Arvid)
and step inside.
We walked down until we found this portal.
Everyone crowded around to have a look.
Can you imaging crawling between girders on that grating so high up?
Of course, in order to get into the first girder, you would already have been suspending in this cage over the edge...
looking down at the river far below.
After you, my fair Akiko! Of course I can climb back up on my own, I got down OK.
We also got to see the huge Bidwell they use to finish the deck,
the big cranes,
(Later we saw the cranes packing this tractor!)
the forms for the barrier rails at the side (you won't be able to see over those as you drive through),
and big piles of reinforcement ready to be put into the barrier rail.
Then we took the obligatory girls picture...
One of these pictures represents bad luck cuz we look like the Japanese character for tombstone. 
After learning that, I stayed away from the edge.
At the end, I might have milked it just a little bit so I could go home early...
But what do you expect? I had just had surgery a week before!(Thank you to Doug (big boss man that thinks he knows everything), Tandra, and Akiko for the pictures!)
(Oh yes, and I won't be getting any more tours of the bridge cuz Akiko's husband got sent on to his next assignment in San Diego and Akiko's gone with him. I'm gonna miss her!)
8 comments:
that's one awesome bridge!
That is some serious bride work! Noah is jealous you got to go and he did not. You have a great job! How are you feeling these days? Are you back on the bike?
that is so cool!... and you look tall ..
Those are great pictures! Wow, it's amazing what goes into building structures. So, so beyond my comprehension.
that is way cool. Too bad theydidn't put observation points so people can stop and look out.
Very impressive that you decided to be a man so you could go.
That building/engineering stuff is awe-inspiring.
I really like the pictures of the bridge. I assume "bidwell" is the commercial name of some sort of equipment? I would like one. I guess we'll be sure to drive across the bridge in our truck to we can see over the top. Cool engineering! Dad
Whoooaaah...not much there to keep you from going off the edge once you were in that portal. A bit to eerie for me. I got goosebumps just looking at the pictures. That would be my phobia of bridges talking. I have to say watching the process of this bridge being made has built my confidence that the bridges are safe and won't fall apart as I drove over them. Kinda sad that we won't get to drive over Hoover Dam any more.
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