If you’ve driven over the Gerald Desmond Bridge at night, you may have seen some bright lights up on the main span of either the east or west tower. They’re meant to help the Bridge Project’s swing shift see what they’re doing to perform their work. Swing shift workers start at approximately 4 p.m. and go until 2:30 a.m., and work every night except Sunday. Along with the daytime workers, they help keep construction on the new bridge moving for all but a few hours each day.
In the photo above, workers on the east tower wear fall-protection harnesses and are tethered to the structure with lifelines. The worker on the left straddles two beams and – if you look closely – you can see the roadway of the current bridge beneath him.
Giant flood lights provide a wash of light across the work area, so that crew members can perform all the same types of work that is done during day-time hours. Because work has occurred over the channel for months now, spotter boats below are available for water traffic traveling under the bridge at night. Altogether, workers on both shifts help keep construction on pace toward completion next year.
