Jumping a Bridge: Omega Morgan’s Specialized Transportation Team Does The Impossible

When a Sacramento utility company needed to transport a 179,000-pound transformer to a substation in Pollock Pines, CA, Omega Morgan’s specialized transportation division answered the call. And when the project called for an innovative solution to complete the transport, the Omega Morgan team did what they do best: make the seemingly impossible, possible.

In a feat of engineering excellence, the Omega Morgan team devised a unique plan to ensure the safe and timely delivery of a new transformer to a substation, bypassing a bridge along the route that could not withstand the transformer’s weight. The ground breaking solution they devised: to “jump” the bridge.

Specialized Transportation Services and Innovative Solutions

Preparation for this highly specialized move began a year before execution. The first step was to retrieve the transformer measuring 23’5” x 11’ x 13’6” from a rail site near Sacramento. Due to weather obstacles, the project was put on pause. The Omega Morgan crew transported the transformer to a staging area in a nearby forest service yard, where it remained until weather and logistics were more favorable.

When the project was able to resume, a crew of five from Omega Morgan’s Houston location got to work quickly. In just one week, the crew constructed the “bridge jump” — a temporary passageway above the existing bridge.

To build the bridge, the crew lifted and precisely placed steel girders onto cribbing they constructed using interlocking blocks. The cribbing provided excellent stabilization for the girders and the temporary bridge proved sufficiently strong enough to support the transformer’s weight.

For the next step, the crew loaded the transformer onto an 6-line self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT) and transported the unit from the forest service yard to the bridge location. Raising the SPMT, they were able to bring the transformer down onto the girders, then carefully slide it across the temporary bridge structure.

This process required engineering expertise, careful sequencing, and precise handling of the heavy load. Ultimately, the “bridge jump” was successful and the transformer made it safely to the other side of the road without imposing any weight on the existing bridge below.

Heavy Equipment Transport That Goes Above and Beyond

True to form, the Omega Morgan team went above and beyond during the execution of this project. In addition to transporting the new transformer, the crew also assisted the company contracted to decommission the old transformer by transporting the old unit out of the substation.

Building Bridges With Specialized Transportation Excellence

Over the course of the project, every step was performed with safety and precision, culminating in the successful execution of the “bridge jump” and the safe delivery of the transformer to the substation.

The customer praised Omega Morgan’s project execution, awarding high ratings for professionalism and problem-solving. The successful outcome strengthened the client relationship and has led to a continued partnership on additional projects.