Going Going Gone, 7-8.3.2020.

This weekend we watched, watched and watched the removal of the Gorton bridge.

Early Saturday morning what I thought was two cranes, arrived, then realized it was one giant crane and a low loader with the attachments for it. 

More to go on it yet.

The crane having the attachments fitted.

There it is, with its arms and cables fitted.

As you can see there were plenty of Gortonians watching.

But we were all disappointed as the wind was too strong to chance a lift.

the spreaders were added but by 6-00 pm it was too dark to continue for me to take any photos.

This is the main man who everyone was waiting on, it was all on his head to go or not, or should I say his instruments readings.

A Bridge too Far.
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So it was back there at 8-00am on Sunday to find the bridge down, obviously overnight!.

So I had to be satisfied with a before and after job.

A dull damp day Monday morning saw the main road opened again

The traffic lights that had been changed to channel all the traffic into Reddish Lane were put back to normal, it had gone well there, but its a pity the lights at The Fir Tree pub into Longford road hadn't been given priority as it was a bottle neck there!.

Still its all flowing again if only slowly until the new pedestrian bridge is placed in which I was told would be right at the end of the project.

Will be a smaller crane for that as its a lot lighter by the look of it.

An artist's impression of the finished project, its been a bit of disruption for lots of people no doubt but long overdue and you can't have omelettes without breaking a few eggs can you!.

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Last view of the Bridge, Hyde Road Gorton. 6.3.2020

Had lunch at McDonalds today with a friend I'd not seen for a while, we used to go to the cinema quite regularly but nothing on the past few weeks that we fancied, so decided to meet for a chat at McDonalds!.

At least I could hear him now I have my new hearing aids, been I bit difficult the last few weeks with my old aids, one broke and the other not much use, so its been a few weeks of "What" "What" and more "What".
These are my new aids in their charging Box as they are rechargeable!, so no more Batteries, Charge overnight and next morning they are ready to use and said to last for 17 hours on a charge.
The box also holds a charge when disconnected, would have been handy in our old camping days with no electrics but can't see much use for that these days as my dirty stop out days are over!.


Not cheap but my old aids had 17 channels and over the last 10+ years these new ones now have 48 channels so technology as come on leaps and bounds!, and what price your health and well being!.
On to the bridge, not literally as its coming down this weekend having been postponed last time due to the high winds.
So Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th March the road will be closed, can never remembering that happening in the last 50 years we have lived here.
Still it needs to be done and it will remove an ugly eyesore.
This is the state of  things as of today.

This area was all dug out and then filled in again with this hardcore, not sure why unless the big crane is going on there?.

Will need a big crane as that's a big lump of metal isn't it.

Still it will all be worth it in the end as this is an artist impression of the finished job, that's the road looking towards the M60, Denton.
Too nice for Gorton isn't it?.
  The new bridge will be going in the last thing. 
Hoping to get some pictures of the old bridge in the air tomorrow so watch this space.

Whilst at Pear Mill the other day took this picture of the top of the 200 foot high chimney and been watching some old videos of Fred Dibnah climbing up these, this was one he missed, still its a good perch for the Peregrine Falcons in the area.

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Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt!
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