Tomorrow will include photos of the lift span being floated out – but for now I wanted to share two shots of the flurry of activity that had to happen in order for the span to be floated out in the first place. The first shot above features two workers hurriedly screwing something onto one of the barge towers that will help secure the 2 million pound lift span. The shot below is a serene capture of the Cape Cod barge at rest with the early morning light reflecting the scene in the rich blue water of the Piscataqua.

While I was scouting out good spots to watch the lift span float out of the Memorial Bridge, I decided to head over to Four Tree Island for a nice head on shot.  The wind was sharp and my hands were absolutely frozen, but a nice long exposure with a fascinating cloud movement made for a worthy image. Hard to imagine that in a few days this view will never be the same.  I’m looking forward to some action shots with the barge carrying the bridge – but until then some scenic shots will have to do the trick.

The Congress Street corridor is a great spot to watch the light change during various points of the day.  During the winter, the late day sunlight streaks across Congress Street, barely reaching the Breaking New Grounds building in Market Square.  In this shot of the mid-afternoon, the North Church and the square enjoy some direct sunlight while the buildings on either side of the street create a claustrophobic view up the hill.

Before the project can move forward, it must first take a few steps back.  The deconstruction of the Memorial Bridge is underway, and the central lift span will be floated out on Monday evening next week.  I was amazed when I stopped to take a photo of the light at the top of the abutment, when all of a sudden, I saw some sparks go flying down the length of the bridge.

Cranes at work unloading salt onto the Market Street terminal for Granite State Minerals.  Soon I’ll be featuring tall red cranes of another kind – the two twin cranes that are helping to dismantle the Memorial Bridge.

Another glimpse of life on the water in Portsmouth.  This image was taken from Peirce Island near my favorite boat launch.  The low tide allowed me to sneak a bit closer to the water and further from the shore than I usually would…and I’m happy with the results.  Another example of why it pays to wake up a bit early.

The Creole Miss of Riverside and Pickering Marine is working on the early demolition of the Memorial Bridge on a sunny winter afternoon.  This view will be an ever changing scene for the next year and a half…and this site provides an opportunity to watch it all unfold: http://www.portsmouthwebcam.com/index.php/memorial-bridge/ - I highly recommend watching the time lapse of the day’s activity.

Looking forward to documenting the evolution of the bridge’s demise and reconstruction.