Crews begin cutting away pieces of collapsed crane sprawled over Halifax building

Workers have cut away and removed the crane’s catwalk, as well as its front jib, counterweight jib and the top portion of its front boom. PHOTO: Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal

Weeks after the remnants of Hurricane Dorian battered Halifax, crews have begun removing a ruined construction crane that collapsed during the storm.

The tower crane’s catwalk was cut away and removed Oct. 13 and workers took off the front jib, the counterweight jib and the top portion of the front boom Monday, the province said.

“This is challenging work and safety continues to guide every decision we make,” said Lloyd Hines, the province’s minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, in a release. “I want to thank the crews who worked through the weekend to remove the first sections of the crane. This is complex work and each detail of the removal is carefully planned with safety in the forefront.”

PHOTO: Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal

The twisted remains of the piece of heavy construction equipment have been sprawled over an under-construction building in downtown Halifax for more than a month. The collapse has resulted in evacuation orders for surrounding buildings and led the province to declare a localized state of emergency to expedite the removal process Sept. 18.

To ensure the heavy steel components of the crane remain in place while crews work to remove them, they’ve been secured in 26 separate places using cables, chains and structural steel. Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency has also been on-site hosing down the building to ensure sparks from cutting or welding don’t start a fire.

Nova Scotia’s Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal department said crews will spend the next several days repositioning equipment and erecting supports.

Weather permitting, the crane’s main tower will be removed Oct. 19.