Changing the face of Charleston : The unbuilding of the Grace and Pearman Bridges
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(Apr 10)
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(Jul 10 2006)
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(Feb 17)
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(Apr 3)
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(Apr 3)
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(Mar 27)
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(Feb 28)

August 30 2005: Nassau overpass is down and the Hanover overpass is next

The Nassau St. Overpass is no more. Three day's ago, this was the Nassau overpass

This is today - and look at the road surface which was protected by the blankets Cashman/Testa use to protect the surface from falling debris.

So here is the big picture: The Grace exit ramp, Pearman approach, the new Ravenel towers in the background and the intersection of Nassau St. with Lee St.

More battle of the Titans - marching toward East Bay

Work in progress: Removing roadway between the girders and making their way (in reverse) to the Hanover St Overpass.

Water is used to keep the dust down - keeping the neighborhood from experiencing the Mt. St Helens's volcanic ash effect

and more water

I am quite impressed with what I call the cleaning operation. The shear operators take a bite of roadway and then sweep it into the intra-beam space while the water guys keep their water focused on the falling debris

When they finish the intra-beam clean-up, then they start again with the side barriers: here preparing to take a bite

Taking a bite

and releasing the bite. These really are surgeons - calm, precise and accurate.

Another view (from Nassau St.) of the backward movement to Hanover (and eventually East Bay)

Here is the next overpass - at Hanover St. Here, I often walked up the Pearman off-ramp to photograph the progress on Line 14 (the Morrison St on-ramp to the Ravenel Bridge).

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Attribution: C. Frank Starmer and Sparky Witte from http://oldcooperriverbridge.org