Work has begun on the abutments

Work has begun on the abutments. The first photo on the right is the south abutment. They are pulling the stones out one by one to check them for damage. The damage could be from moisture which makes them soft and crumbly or they might be broken. A broken stone might have been hit by a floating tree during one of the many floods in the past 137 years. Or, any number of other things could cause broken stones. The stones lined up on the ground have been numbered. These numbers correspond to numbers on a photograph of the abutment. That way they can be put back the same way they came out.
The next photo is the north abutment. After removing enough stone from the south abutment for the engineer to get a good look, they moved to the other side of the creek. The feeling is the north side will need more work than the south side or the center pier.
We had a meeting with Chris Gunn from the Timber Framers Guild. He gave us an idea of what we could expect and what it would cost. We asked for an itemized list because some of the things they need we already have donated. So, this could lower our cost. We have not signed on with the Timber Framers yet. But, it looks like we probably will. They are still saying July is available to us if we decide to go with them.
Stay tuned. Things are getting exciting. Tell your friends to check out our progress. And, remember if you would like to donate go to rebuildthebridge.com
Mike Roe
Bridgeton Mill