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By RICHARD PEARSALL
Courier-Post Staff
RIVERSIDE
A 550-ton rail bridge that keeled over on Rancocas Creek in April, forcing five workers to jump for safety onto a pier or into the chilly creek, is expected to be righted next Wednesday.
Three huge winches are anchored to the ground on each side of the creek, poised to pull the 210-foot, arched span up from one side while restraining it from the other.
The bridge and the barge it is attached to have been resting at a 45-degree angle against an abutment on the Riverside bank of Rancocas Creek since the April 6 accident.
The steel structure is part of a 34-mile light rail project, due to be completed by Jan. 1, 2003, that will link Camden to Trenton.
"We've been putting in additional temporary bracing to ensure the stability of the structure," said Walker Kimball, project director for the South Jersey Rail Group, which was hired by NJ Transit to build the line.
A device called a slider will be attached to the bottom of the structure, which is mounted on a 500-ton barge, to keep the bottom from sliding out and crushing a nearby pier as the span is lifted.
The contractors in April had nearly completed work on the bridge and were ready to float it into position when the barge suddenly listed and the bridge toppled over.
None of the five workers was seriously injured.
Kimball blamed the accident on faulty design, the bridge being top heavy for the barge on which it was erected.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said its investigation may not be completed until the fall.
The righting of the bridge, originally scheduled for early July, has been twice postponed.
"We like to be optimistic and aggressive," Kimball said, " but when we see something that needs to be done - some additional stiffening modifications - we're going to do it. We'd rather err on the side of caution." Kimball said the righting project is very much on schedule.
Rigging International, the California firm hired to right the bridge, has until the middle of August to complete the job.
On Tuesday, orange-vested workers clambered over, under and around the mammoth span, making final preparations for the move.
NJ Transit spokesman Charles Ingoglia said the process will begin Monday, with the stringing of cable from the the winches to the arch, and climax Wednesday, when they plan to "actually, physically right it."
Wednesday's operation could take up to 12 hours, Kimball said.
"A little like watching grass grow," said Ken Finertie, a Delanco resident who has been following the progress - and setbacks - of the bridge project.
The project will be completed by the end of next week, when the span is floated into position across the Rancocas and lowered onto the piers that will support it.
The accident will not cost taxpayers any additional money, Ingoglia said.
"We have a $604 million contract with South Jersey Rail Group to design, build, operate and maintain the line," Ingoglia said. "That still holds."
The additional costs will be absorbed by one or more of the contractors and subcontractors involved in erecting the bridge.
Ingoglia noted the light rail project "has moved forward in every other respect."
He said NJ Transit will not know for certain if there will be any delays until the bridge is righted and fully inspected for structural damage.
The bridge has been under construction since last fall. It will replace a smaller swing bridge that was used for 95 years.