Crew begin dismantling pieces of toppled crane in Halifax

Post-tropical storm Dorian brought down a construction crane in downtown Halifax in early September.

Now, after a month of assessing the removal of the crane, a work crew began to dismantle it on Sunday.

The first pieces were removed, but there is still no timeline being given as to when the area will be cleared.

READ MORE: New crane brought in to help remove toppled crane in Halifax

Engineers from Harbourside Engineering Consultants and R&D Crane Operator Limited told Global News on Oct. 6 there are a lot of moving parts to ensure the removal is done safely.

“Today we have done work to stabilize the crane that we hadn’t completed last week from sparks and falling debris once we took the counterweight jib off,” said David Hamilton, project manager for the removal.

According to Hamilton, some cutting and removal of portions of the downed tower crane got underway as a localized state of emergency remains in place.

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The surrounding area of the crane was closed off under an emergency order by the province on Oct. 2 to ensure the safety of those in the area as work continued to remove the 30 tonne piece of mangled steel.

The localized emergency area is defined as the city block within the boundaries of Cathedral Lane, Brenton Street, Brenton Place and Spring Garden Road.

1:49 Dorian cleanup continues in Halifax

At the scene, a pair of cranes were also being used to carry workers and their equipment up to the top of the building where torches were being used to cut through the steel.

READ MORE: Province renews emergency order for crane removal in Halifax

The first pieces that came off were carried down to the street where they were documented by the crew.

“Right now, we’re working to stabilize the crane, we probably have two or three hours work and then we cant start cutting that jib off,” said Hamilton.

1:55 Power outages persist for thousands in Atlantic Canada

He said there’s still no timeline for when the crane will be fully removed — it could be days or weeks, but crews will continue the removal process Monday morning.

The province is also continuing its investigation into how the crane fell in the first place.