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The most recent set of construction photos appear on the main Photo Album page.

December 2001 – Construction begins with laying of articulated concrete mats
The Concrete Mat boat, assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Vicksburg District, is the only unit of its kind in the world. The mat boat lays articulated concrete mats in 140-foot wide strips.
During operation, the mat boat rides a track on one edge of a mooring barge (left), which is kept on alignment by a crew of surveyors. Steel cables tied to shore and to other barges hold the mooring barge on alignment against the strong river current.
Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) equipment is used to check alignment of the mooring barge. The barge appears as a yellow rectangle. Red arrows drawn onto this diagram point out the yellow line that marks the desired alignment.
An overhead indicator on the deck of the mooring barge shows the deviation from alignment in feet. Despite the fast current — and river levels 20 feet over normal — the crew is able to maintain a very close tolerance.
Barges bring concrete mat panels to the rear of the mat boat.
Stacks of concrete mat panels. Each panel is 25 feet long, 4 feet wide and 4 inches thick.
Stacks of concrete mat panels. Wire embedded within the poured concrete is used to tie panels together. The roughened surface provides a friendly growth environment for microorganisms and plant life.
Concrete panels are hoisted from the stack and carried to the mat boat assembly floor.
Concrete panels are hoisted from the stack and carried to the mat boat assembly floor.
While mats are being placed, workers tie the concrete panels together with a wire wrapping tool.
While mats are being placed, workers tie the concrete panels together with a wire wrapping tool.
While mats are being placed, workers tie the concrete panels together with a wire wrapping tool.
Panels are tied to each other and to a thick anchor cable that holds the joined panels to the assembly floor. The anchor cable system keeps the concrete mat from sliding off the boat and controls insertion of the mat into the water.
The concrete mat is rolled off the end of the boat and more panels are joined to the trailing edge to create a continuous ribbon 400 to 500 feet long. The mat is 35 panels wide — 140 feet.
The web cam installation just upstream from the new bridge site.