Watch sparks fly as welders cut, form massive girders for new Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge

Caltrans offered a behind-the-scenes look at its construction of the new Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge, which was demolished earlier this year after it was worn down by winter storms and deemed unsafe.

62-foot-long steel girders for the bridge are being fabricated at the XKT Engineering Plant in Vallejo. Once finished, they’ll be painted and sent to the Highway 1 construction site, where they’ll be assembled and “launched across the canyon,” Caltrans Structural Materials Representative Jason Wilcox said in the video.

The speed of this project is “very unique,” Wilcox said — it’s only been a few months since crews realized the Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge was failing, and they’ve already designed a new bridge and started fabrication.

The new bridge is expected to cost about $24 million and open in mid- to late September.

This story was originally published June 2, 2017 at 2:43 PM with the headline "Watch sparks fly as welders cut, form massive girders for new Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge."