A gigantic crane has overtaken a long block of Washington Street this weekend so workers can remove and install mechanical equipment on the roof of One Maritime Plaza.
The 400-foot-long hydraulic crane by Bigge Crane & Rigging Co. was stretched out on Washington Street between Battery and Davis streets on Saturday morning and will be there until the job is finished on Sunday, according to Billy Buzzard of Matrix HG Inc., the mechanical contractor for the project.
Workers are preparing to remove a 40,000-pound chiller (which provides the building's cooling) in three pieces and install a new one in three pieces, Buzzard said. They'll do a dry run today and be back at 7am Sunday to get 'er done.
Photo via Eric Koeppel
The far left lane of Washington Street will remain open throughout the project, but the sidewalk on the north side of Washington Street between Battery and Davis is closed today and Sunday. The city wouldn't allow a full street closure, Buzzard said, despite safety concerns. So watch out and try to avoid that block if you can, whether on foot or on wheels.Washington Street isn't as busy on weekends as on weekdays, but vehicles are allowed to exit the Golden Gateway Garage onto Washington, and there's some traffic from the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. Foot traffic is also relatively robust on Saturday due to the market.
