Avis here again with more photos of the GSB bridge & rock shed project on highway 1.

I think in this post not only will I show shots of my trip up in the basket but I will show some on the job shots that give you a little bit of an idea in what it takes to build structures like this.

In this shot I am in the basket looking to the north towards the bridge. See that blue thing on the bridge? That is called a Form Traveler.

This shot was taken when the bridge still had a gap in it from the other side.

So here’s how it basically works. They put the Form Traveler in place. Build the walls and do all the welding and the re-bar work.

Run pipes for cables and such, and when they complete all they need to do, they pour the concrete.

When the concrete is poured and set they sand the surface down. And voila! Another section of the bridge is complete. They move the Form Traveler and start the process all over again.

That was the Readers Digest condensed version of all the steps and work that goes into this job. These guys work an extremely dangerous job. It’s long days of hard ass work. Not to mention they are hanging off the edge of a cliff.

I like this shot. It gives you the perspective of just how on the edge these guys are.

After touring the job site with the supervisor, I have a deep respect for the work they do and how complicated it is to build a bridge & rock shed on a highway that shouldn’t even be here.

On Monday Dec. 5th, they poured the final section in the bridge. It is now one solid piece. Not completed yet, but ladies & gents……..we have a bridge!

I have a few more images to share and will post again in a few days.

Hi everyone. Avis here.

Last month I was invited by the job Supervisor from the bridge and rock shed construction that is on highway 1 near Limekiln State Park, to take my camera, climb in a basket attached to a crane, and be lifted 172′ into the air and out over the ocean, to get shots of the job site from an angle not many get to see.

It was amazing! I adorned my stylish hard hat and bright orange vest. Was put into a harness that was attached to the basket. In the basket with me was the foreman from the bridge job and at the crane stood the supervisor with the crane operator. Let me tell you…that crane operator was smooth like sweet flowing silk. And, I am told he is one of the best in the state of California. I believe it.

To start off this pictorial I’d like to show you an above the entire job shot image so you can get a grasp of how big this job is. They are building a bridge and a rock shed. The rock shed will be the first ever built in the United States. They are very common in Europe for avalanche and rock slide areas. I have no doubt that when this job is finished it will be a tourist attraction that will rival the Bixby Bridge.

Obviously in the center of the pic is the bridge being built. And the far left stand the columns for the rock shed. The crane  was on a platform on the ocean side of the columns. ( not pictured here)

And here I go…up up up & away…..

I especially like that you can see our shadow in the basket on the mountain.

I like this shot. It gives you the perspective of the height, you see the crane perched on that platform and the view isn’t  bad either.

The view looking south from 172 feet into the air out over the ocean.

I have more shots I will share. Including some of the actual phases of building the bridge and rock shed as the week progresses. That is in between the news Kate needs to report.

The final pour to connect the bridge will take place this Monday Dec. 5th. The bridge won’t be done but it will be all connected.

Hope you enjoyed the shots. More to come very soon!