We built a bridge today.
sac said:
Is that in the National Wildlife Refuge?
No. It is the Great Swamp Watershed Association. They own or manage several sites. The bridge is over a stream that feeds into the National Wildlife Preserve.
GSWA monitors for pollution, feeder streams and the Passaic river that feed into the Great Swamp. They also take thousands of elementary and middle school classes into their property each year for educational programs.
Tomorrow, we are scheduled to put the railing on so's people don't fall offing the river. Kids from Pingry will be coming to clear the trail from the bridge to where it meets other completed trails. That will give up four miles of connected trails.
The wood lasts from 10 to 15 years and then has to be replaced. Last year, one of the existing bridges was dislodged by a rain storm. It took 14 people to lift it and carry it back, 15 feet to its original position.
Now we're building another one. The new one will be difficult it is 74' long and in deeper water. We will need waders for this one.
Photo is of measuring and setting the stakes to mark where the support poles will be pounded into the ground. This bridge will take two or three days to build.
Jaytee said:
74 inches or feet?
Sorry -- ft. Eyeballs don't work as good as they use'ta, after cataract surgery. I'm too lazy to continually change glasses. And this is the result.
Formerlyjerseyjack said:
Sorry -- ft. Eyeballs don't work as good as they use'ta, after cataract surgery. I'm too lazy to continually change glasses. And this is the result.
that’s quite a long bridge. You guys plan on doing it in 8 or 10 foot sections?
12 ft.s sections. The lumber comes cut in 12 ft segments.
We carry it from the roadway, to the site. Anyways from 1/4 to 1/2 mile, depending on what part of the swamp we are building.
Formerlyjerseyjack said:
Now we're building another one. The new one will be difficult it is 74' long and in deeper water. We will need waders for this one.
Photo is of measuring and setting the stakes to mark where the support poles will be pounded into the ground. This bridge will take two or three days to build.
Is that a slow moving stream?
Formerlyjerseyjack said:
12 ft.s sections. The lumber comes cut in 12 ft segments.
We carry it from the roadway, to the site. Anyways from 1/4 to 1/2 mile, depending on what part of the swamp we are building.
Sounds like a real trek to carry lumber that far. Hopefully you guys have younger strong guys to help, that’s a project. And you 4x4’s for the support? Using a sledgehammer?
yahooyahoo said:
Is that a slow moving stream?
Most of it is. There is one section where it narrows and that has a bit of fast moving current.
Jaytee said:
Sounds like a real trek to carry lumber that far. Hopefully you guys have younger strong guys to help, that’s a project. And you 4x4’s for the support? Using a sledgehammer?
Younger guys --- I am 80. Steve is 76. Dennis is 27. We are there every Friday.We all carry the lumber.
There will be 15 - 20 people on Friday to carry the stuff. Several corporations buy lumber and materials for us and donate their staff for 1/2 or full day. That happens a few times a year.On those day, the four of us mostly supervise.
4 x 4, two on one. They are heavy. Pounding will begin with a sledgehammer. Then finish with a pole pounder that will use two people on it.
Sometimes, we get high school kids. It's easy to get the guys to carry the lumber. We wait until the guys are next to the girls.
" These pieces are heavy. I don't know if you can carry it by yourselves." You never see lumber move so quickly.
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