Pylons to stop erosion along Route 2
RUMFORD – A slope stabilization project tucked into the sharp corner of Route 2 at Rumford Point, slowing traffic since March 24, is nearing an end.
A Bancroft Contracting Corp. crew has been using a 50-ton Manitowoc crane outfitted with a diesel hammer to drive 50-foot-long steel I-beam pylons into the eroding riverbank to save a 320-foot section of Route 2 at the confluence of the Ellis and Androscoggin rivers.
It takes 20 minutes per pylon for the crane to drive the pylons into place, said Bancroft foreman Tim Marston.
The Maine Department of Transportation project involves pounding the I-beams into the bank at spaced intervals, then placing timber lagging between the pylons.
This will create a network of bank stabilization webs.
If all goes well, Marston said, he expects the crew to finish the pylon work this week and complete the lagging work during the week of April 7.
tkarkos@sunjournal.com
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