The bridges weighed 43t (47 US tons) but measured 19.7m (64.6ft) in length so the cranes had to be positioned where they could unload from the transport and then reposition the bridges on the temporary footings without any obstruction.
This proved especially difficult as the old bridges had to be demolished and the set-up position cleared for the GMK6300. The crane was rigged with 50t (55 US tons) of counterweight in the stand-by area and then the rest was installed when the crane was in its final position.
There was even more pressure on the job because everything had to be completed within a strict timeframe to ensure minimum disruption to the rail network.
The company worked under the direction of specialist contractor Zürcher Railway Constructions to position the two bridges between 11pm and 4.30am over a Saturday and Sunday. The crane will return to the jobsite this month (June) to remove the temporary bridges and help position the new permanent bridges.
For the initial job the GMK6300 worked with 100t (110 US ton) of counterweight and 37.9m (124.3ft) of main boom to lift the bridges at a radius of 18m (59ft).
MSG operates from offices in Kehl/Rhine and Freiburg-Teningen and runs a rental fleet of 24 cranes, one third of which are Groves purchased through local dealer Kranagentur Werner.
