Workers replace utilities beneath Borgarfjarðarbrú

Workers are renewing pipes and cables beneath Borgarfjarðarbrú, with the project progressing according to plan, mbl.is reports. Construction workers from Borgarverk hf. are carrying out the work for Veitur, RARIK and a telecommunications company.

The current focus is replacing the hot-water pipeline beneath the bridge. The existing 250-millimetre steel pipes are being removed and replaced with pipes 100 millimetres wider. A temporary pipe on the bridge deck is currently carrying water from Deildartunguhver in Reykholtsdal.

Once the hot-water work is complete, lines for electricity, cold water and fibre-optic services will be installed. Workers have already replaced hot-water pipes along 150 metres of the 520-metre bridge.

A ramp has been built down to the water at the bridge’s western end, where work sheds have also been set up. A 90-tonne steel barge, purchased by Borgarverk specifically for the project, is being used to reach the bridge from the water.

Workers operate from platforms beneath the bridge, removing the old pipes and installing the new ones. The new pipes are placed inside sleeves, pulled beneath the bridge deck and welded together. A platform attached to the barge’s lifting equipment allows workers to remove and secure pipes.

The barge arrived about three weeks ago, later than expected after paperwork and administrative work was required to authorise its use. It is currently moored just inside the bridge in Borgarfjörður because strong winds prevent it from being used alongside the bridge. The currents where the river meets the sea are described as heavy and dangerous.

“The conditions here are challenging, so we have to move forward step by step and work out the safest way to do things,” said Þorvaldur Jóhannesson, a foreman with Borgarverk. He said the platforms beneath the bridge were cramped and difficult to work on, making fall protection essential. Workers wear safety equipment and flotation vests, while rescue boats are kept nearby on the barge and by the rock embankment beside the bridge.

Ten men are working on the project, with shifts beginning at around 6 a.m. and continuing until darkness. The work is due to be completed by the end of November.