Original subtitles

Narrator: IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE,

A TEAM OF ENGINEERS IS ATTEMPTING TO CONSTRUCT

A REMARKABLE, NEW SUPER STRUCTURE --

THE LONGEST SUSPENSION BRIDGE EVER BUILT IN THE ARCTIC.

IT'S A VERY, VERY BIG OPERATION.

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, HAND ME THAT ONE, HAND ME THAT ONE.

Narrator: TO BUILD IT,

THE TEAM MUST BATTLE EXTREME HEIGHTS...

WHOOP, WHOOP, WHOOP.

...AND SURGING 80-MILE-PER-HOUR WINDS...

WHEW! WHEW, WHEW, WHEW!

Narrator: ...TO COMPLETE THIS 5,029-FOOT LONG BRIDGE

BEFORE THE WINTER WEATHER STRIKES.

THE WEATHER CAN BE EXTREMELY TOUGH.

IT'S A DRAMATIC SITUATION, ACTUALLY, WE'RE QUITE SCARED.

♪♪

Narrator: THIS GROUNDBREAKING BRIDGE

RANKS IN A LEAGUE OF AMBITIOUS NEW ENGINEERING WONDERS

THAT ARE BIGGER, FASTER, TALLER

AND MORE ADVANCED THAN ANYTHING EVER CONSTRUCTED BEFORE.

THIS IS THE INSIDE STORY OF THE EXTRAORDINARY CHALLENGE

OF BUILDING THESE GIANTS.

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

♪♪

DEEP IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, IN NORTHERN NORWAY,

ICY MOUNTAINS SOAR HIGH INTO THE CLOUDS

AND PLUNGE DEEP INTO THE FREEZING WATERS

OF THE FAMOUS NORWEGIAN FJORDS.

♪♪

THE REMOTE INDUSTRIAL CITY OF NARVIK IS A CRUCIAL HUB

FOR FISHING AND MINING IRON ORE.

IT SITS TO THE SOUTH OF THE GIANT ROMBAKSFJORD

AND HAS A POPULATION OF AROUND 14,000,

BUT THE STUNNING LANDSCAPE HERE

ALSO CREATES A PROBLEM FOR RESIDENTS --

A LONG AND DIFFICULT COMMUTE.

TO ACCESS THE NORTH, THEY MUST DRIVE A TREACHEROUS WINDING ROAD

11 MILES AROUND THE EDGE OF THE FJORD.

♪♪

ROCK FALLS AND LANDSLIDES OFTEN KILL AND INJURE

MOTORISTS ALONG THIS ROUTE.

THE ROAD AROUND THE FJORD IS VERY DANGEROUS IN THE WINTER.

THIS ROAD IS NOT SO EASY TO DRIVE.

THERE BEEN A LOT OF CRASH ON THIS ROAD.

Narrator: SO TO SAVE LIVES AND CUT COMMUTE TIMES,

ENGINEERS ARE PLANNING TO BUILD AN AMBITIOUS NEW CROSSING

OVER THE WATER CALLED THE HALOGALAND BRIDGE.

THIS GREEN LINE INDICATES WHERE WE ARE BUILDING A NEW BRIDGE,

AND IT MEANS THAT WE WILL HAVE A MUCH MORE SAFE ROAD,

A SHORTER WAY,

AND WE DON'T HAVE TO USE THIS OLD ONE

THAT IS EXPOSED TO ROCK SLIDES.

Narrator: IT'S UP TO STRUCTURAL ENGINEER JAMAL ASSAD

TO CONCEIVE AND DESIGN THE BRIDGE.

IT MUST BE ABLE TO SPAN THE 980-FOOT DEEP FJORD

AND STILL SURVIVE THE BITTERLY COLD ENVIRONMENT.

THE BRIDGE WILL IMPROVE THE WHOLE INFRASTRUCTURE

IN THIS REGION.

I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS BRIDGE FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS

TO CREATE SOMETHING UNIQUE, NOT JUST FOR THIS AREA

BUT ALSO FOR AROUND THE WORLD.

Narrator: THIS IS THE GIANT THAT JAMAL AND THE TEAM MUST SOMEHOW CONSTRUCT.

♪♪

TWIN A-SHAPE TOWERS BUILT FROM OVER 42,000 TONS OF CONCRETE

WILL RISE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FJORD.

TWO HUGE CABLES WILL HANG BETWEEN THE TOWERS.

EACH CABLE WEIGHS 2,000 TONS

AND MEASURES MORE THAN 1 1/2 FEET THICK.

♪♪

THE CABLES NEED TO HOLD UP A CUSTOM-MADE, DUAL-LANE ROAD DECK

MADE UP OF 30 STEEL SECTIONS.

EACH CABLE WILL BE ANCHORED OVER 150 FEET DEEP

INTO THE HEART OF THE MOUNTAINS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE FJORD

TO HOLD THE BRIDGE STEADY THROUGH THE ROUGHEST WEATHER.

STRETCHING ALMOST 1 MILE ACROSS THE WATER

AND COSTING AROUND $450 MILLION, THE GIANT HALOGALAND BRIDGE

WILL BE THE LONGEST SUSPENSION BRIDGE WITHIN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE.

BUT THE NORTHERN LOCATION MAKES BUILDING THIS BRIDGE

EXTRA TOUGH.

THE ARCTIC ENVIRONMENT IS FAMOUSLY BRUTAL.

TEMPERATURES HERE CAN DROP TO AROUND 0 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,

AND 80-MILE-PER-HOUR WINDS CAN RACE BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS.

BUILDING THIS ONE-OF-A-KIND BRIDGE

IN A SUCH A UNIQUELY HOSTILE LOCATION

INVOLVES A SERIES OF COMPLEX STAGES.

ON TOP OF FOUR HUGE PILLARS, THE TEAM PLANS TO BUILD UP

THE MASSIVE A-SHAPED CONCRETE TOWERS.

THEN, THEY'LL CAREFULLY WINCH 80 WIRE STRANDS 566 FEET UP

AND ACROSS THE FREEZING FJORD.

THESE WILL FORM THE TWO COLOSSAL MAIN CABLES.

NEXT, THEY WILL JACK THE 2,000-TON CABLES APART

BY 51 FEET IN THE CENTER OF THE SPAN

AND ATTACH 110 STEEL CLAMPS AND VERTICAL HANGER CABLES.

THESE WILL HOLD UP THE 30 AERODYNAMIC STEEL SECTIONS

THAT WILL FORM THE 7,000-TON ROAD DECK.

FINALLY, WORKERS MUST RACE THE WINTER WEATHER

TO LIFT EACH SECTION OF DECK INTO PLACE

TO CREATE A NEARLY 1-MILE-LONG ROAD BETWEEN THE TOWERS.

♪♪

AND WITH ONLY 5 YEARS TO BUILD IT,

THE TEAM MUST FIGHT A REAL BATTLE AGAINST THE ELEMENTS.

♪♪

PROJECT MANAGER DAGRUNN KAASEN HEADS UP A TEAM OF 900 ENGINEERS

AND WORKERS FROM NORWAY AND ACROSS THE WORLD.

NONE OF THEM HAS EVER ATTEMPTED A BRIDGE ON THIS SCALE

IN SUCH A REMOTE PART OF THE PLANET BEFORE.

Kaasen: SO CHALLENGING, BUT ALTOGETHER WE HAVE AN AMAZING TEAM.

WE WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Narrator: DAGRUNN'S FIRST CHALLENGE IS TO CONSTRUCT THE BRIDGE'S

GIANT REINFORCED CONCRETE TOWERS.

♪♪

BUILDING WORK BEGINS IN 2013.

CONCRETE ENGINEER GUTTORM RAEDER

MUST ERECT THE TOWERS AT HIGH SPEED.

TO DO THIS, HE USES AN INGENIOUS TECHNIQUE CALLED SLIP FORMING.

WORKERS FILL A SPECIAL MOBILE MOLD

THAT CLAMPS AROUND THE LEG OF THE TOWER WITH CONCRETE.

ONCE EACH LAYER OF CONCRETE HARDENS,

HYDRAULIC JACKS RAISE THE MOLD UP TO THE NEXT LEVEL,

SO THE TOWERS CONTINUE TO GROW 8 INCHES AT A TIME.

THE TEAM POURS THE CONCRETE NONSTOP,

24 HOURS A DAY, FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK.

AND OVER 32 MONTHS, THEY RAISE THE TOWERS

TO THEIR FULL HEIGHT OF 566 FEET.

THEN, THEY BUILD OUT THE CONCRETE VIADUCTS

FROM THE SHORE TO THE TOWERS.

AND IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD,

EACH YEAR TEMPERATURES WILL RISE AND FALL

BY 100 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

THIS DRAMATIC CHANGE GIVES ENGINEERS A BIG PROBLEM

BECAUSE THE ENTIRE 61,000-TON STRUCTURE

WILL EXPAND AND CONTRACT

DURING THE CHANGING SEASONS.

CHANGES IN TEMPERATURE CAUSE THE CONCRETE APPROACH ROAD

TO GROW AND MOVE.

EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION OF THE CONCRETE

COULD CREATE DEVASTATING CRACKS

AND EVENTUALLY BRING DOWN THE APPROACH ROAD.

♪♪

TO PREVENT THIS, THE TEAM HAS BUILT THE ROAD AND TOWER

IN SEPARATE DISCONNECTED SECTIONS,

AND GUTTORM HAS INSTALLED TWO INGENIOUS SLIDE BEARINGS

BETWEEN THE ROAD AND THE BASE OF THE TOWER.

♪♪

AS THE SEASONS CHANGE,

THIS INNOVATION SHOULD ALLOW THE CONCRETE

TO SLIDE OVER THE TOWER

AS THE APPROACH ROAD EXPANDS AND CONTRACTS.

♪♪

THIS WILL ENSURE THAT THE CONCRETE STRUCTURES

DON'T TEAR THEMSELVES APART,

ALLOWING THE BRIDGE TO REMAIN OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND.

WITH THE SLIDE BEARINGS WORKING EFFECTIVELY,

THE TEAM TACKLES THEIR NEXT COLOSSAL CHALLENGE --

INSTALLING THE BRIDGE'S MAMMOTH 5,774-FOOT-LONG MAIN CABLES.

THE CABLES IS THE ONE THAT WILL CARRY

THE WEIGHT OF THE BRIDGE DECK

AND THE TRAFFIC LOAD,

SO THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE BRIDGE.

Narrator: BUT MAKING CABLES THAT ARE STRONG ENOUGH

TO SUSPEND OVER 12,000 TONS OF WEIGHT IS NO SIMPLE TASK.

EACH MAIN CABLE IS MADE UP OF 40 STRANDS.

EACH STRAND CONTAINS 127 INDIVIDUAL STEEL WIRES

AND WEIGHS AROUND 50 TONS.

♪♪

WORKERS USE WINCHES AND PULLEYS TO DRAG EACH STRAND,

ONE BY ONE, UP AND OVER THE TALL TOWERS.

Kaasen: THIS IS ACTUALLY QUITE THE MILESTONE FOR A BRIDGE

WHEN THEY START PULLING THESE CABLES, SO WE ARE VERY EXCITED.

♪♪

Narrator: BUT WITH LESS THAN HALF OF THE MAIN STRANDS IN PLACE,

THE ARCTIC WEATHER BEGINS TO WREAK HAVOC.

DEADLY WINDS BATTER THE WIRES.

Larssen: THE WIRES ARE MOVING AND DANCING AROUND.

THE WEST CABLE HAS ACTUALLY BLOWN OVER TO THE EAST CABLE

AND HITTING THE OTHER CABLE.

SO IT WAS A DRAMATIC SITUATION WE'RE IN,

AND ACTUALLY, WE'RE QUITE SCARED.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: DEEP WITHIN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE,

AS ENGINEERS AND WORKERS INSTALL MAMMOTH CABLES

FOR AN AMBITIOUS MILE-LONG SUSPENSION BRIDGE,

DEADLY WINDS GRIND THEIR EFFORTS TO A HALT.

Larssen: IT WAS A DRAMATIC SITUATION WE WERE IN,

AND ACTUALLY, WE'RE QUITE SCARED FOR THE BRIDGE

AND FOR THE WIRES THAT THEY WERE DAMAGED.

Narrator: SO THE TEAM EVACUATES THE BRIDGE.

Larssen: WE HAVE THE FEELING THAT THE TOWER WAS MOVING,

SO THEN WE THOUGHT IT WAS BEST TO GET DOWN.

Narrator: BUT THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE DEADLY WINDS DIE DOWN,

ALLOWING THE TEAM TO CONTINUE TO SECURE AND COMPRESS TOGETHER

THE WIRE STRANDS TO FORM THE BRIDGE'S MASSIVE MAIN CABLES.

♪♪

NEXT, AT EITHER END OF THE BRIDGE,

THEY ANCHOR THE CABLES INTO THE ULTRA-TOUGH NORWEGIAN MOUNTAINS

TO HOLD THEM STEADY.

Kaasen: MOTHER NATURE BUILDS OUR ANCHOR BLOCKS, AND WE USE THEM.

♪♪

♪♪

YEAH, NO. IN THE ANCHORAGE HOLE,

THIS IS THE VERY END OF THE BRIDGE

WHERE THE ANCHORAGE OF THE MAIN CABLE ENDS

IN THAT MASSIVE CONCRETE WALL.

Narrator: TO MAKE THE ANCHOR'S BASE STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE BRIDGE,

THE TEAM HAD TO EXCAVATE A CAVERNOUS CHAMBER

OVER 150 FEET DOWN RIGHT INTO THE HEART OF THE MOUNTAIN.

INSIDE, THEY'VE INSTALLED A MASSIVE 8-FOOT-THICK

CONCRETE WALL.

TO CONNECT THE BRIDGE INTO THE ANCHOR'S BASE,

FIRST, THEY SEPARATE OUT THE STRANDS...

...THEN CONNECT THEM ALL TO TENSION CABLES

THAT RUN DOWN THROUGH DRILL HOLES...

...TO THE WALL, WHERE THEY ARE GRIPPED TIGHT.

THE WALL FUNCTIONS AS A GIANT BRACE.

IT USES THE MOUNTAIN ITSELF

TO HOLD FIRMLY THE WEIGHT OF THE BRIDGE.

♪♪

Kaasen: THIS CONCRETE WALL AND THE VOLUME OF THE ROCK

IS ACTUALLY WHAT IS HOLDING THE BRIDGE.

♪♪

Narrator: WITH THE BRIDGE'S TOWERS AND CABLES IN POSITION,

THE TEAM FACES THEIR NEXT BIG CHALLENGE --

CONSTRUCTING AND INSTALLING ITS ROAD DECK.

BUT SUSPENDING A ROAD ACROSS THIS FREEZING,

980-FOOT-DEEP FJORD IS FRAUGHT WITH RISK.

♪♪

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER JAMAL MUST DESIGN A ROADWAY

THAT CAN WITHSTAND THE FEROCIOUS ARCTIC STORMS.

♪♪

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN THIS AREA IS THE WIND.

YOU HAVE A LOT OF TURBULENCE,

AND THAT'S DUE TO ALL THESE MOUNTAINS,

SO FOR THE BRIDGE DECK, YOU HAVE TO DESIGN FOR THE WIND SPEED

WHERE THE BRIDGE GET UNSTABLE,

AND AS A CONSEQUENCE THE BRIDGE DECK CAN GET DESTROYED.

Narrator: STRONG WINDS CAN SHAKE EVEN THE TOUGHEST SUSPENSION BRIDGE

TO BREAKING POINT.

THIS IS THE TACOMA NARROWS BRIDGE,

A TWO-LANE SUSPENSION BRIDGE BUILT IN THE LATE 1930s

ACROSS THE STRAIT OF PUGET SOUND IN WASHINGTON STATE.

AFTER OPENING TO TRAFFIC,

THE BRIDGE BEGAN TO SHAKE IN A DRAMATIC WAY.

WIND PASSING OVER THE DECK CAUSED IT OSCILLATE VIOLENTLY

UP AND DOWN.

THE SLENDER BRIDGE WAS NOT ROBUST ENOUGH

TO TAKE SUCH A BATTERING,

AND JUST 4 MONTHS AFTER OPENING,

IT COLLAPSED.

Assad: WITH THE NARROW DECK, YOU'RE WORKING ON THE EDGE

OF AERODYNAMIC STABILITY.

Narrator: LIKE THE TACOMA NARROWS CROSSING,

JAMAL'S BRIDGE IS SLENDER,

BUILT TO CARRY JUST TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC.

BUT THIS SUPER-SKINNY DESIGN MAKES THE BRIDGE

EXTRA SUSCEPTIBLE TO STRONG WINDS.

Assad: THE WIND WILL CREATE SOME CURLS,

AND YOU CAN HAVE THE BRIDGE OSCILLATING UP AND DOWN.

Narrator: AS THE WIND GUSTS OVER A BRIDGE FROM ONE SIDE,

IT TRAVELS ABOVE AND BELOW THE ROAD DECK.

A CHANGE IN AIR PRESSURE FORCES THE WIND TO CURL BACKWARDS

IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION

AS IT CLEARS THE OPPOSITE EDGE OF THE DECK.

THIS PROCESS IS CALLED VORTEX SHEDDING.

THESE WIND CURLS, OR VORTICES,

BEGIN TO MOVE THE DECK UP AND DOWN.

THEY CAN CAUSE THE BRIDGE TO OSCILLATE AND TWIST VIOLENTLY.

TO PREVENT THIS,

JAMAL IS DESIGNING THE EDGE OF THE DECK ON HIS BRIDGE

TO HAVE A SPECIAL AERODYNAMIC SHAPE.

IT SMOOTHES THE FLOW OF WIND AND REDUCES THE VORTICES.

HIS DESIGN SHOULD HELP THIS BRIDGE REMAIN STEADY

WHEN HIT BY THE STRONGEST GUSTS.

SO ONE WAY TO MITIGATE THAT IS TO LIMIT THIS ANGLE

TO BELOW 16 DEGREES.

THEN YOU CAN AVOID ANY VORTEX SHEDDING.

Narrator: THE 30 DECK SECTIONS ARE TRANSPORTED 12,000 MILES BY SHIP

FROM EASTERN CHINA TO NARVIK PORT IN NORWAY.

AND STEEL ENGINEER KURT GRUNDSTAD'S TEAM

MUST REMOVE THE STEEL COLUMNS

THAT SECURE THE DECK SECTIONS TO THE SHIP,

BUT IT'S A HIGH-RISK PROCEDURE.

THE REMOVING OF THE SEA FASTENING IS A VERY,

VERY BIG OPERATION.

♪♪

IT'S A HIGH COLUMN, AND IF IT STARTS WAVING,

IT CAN HIT THE SECTIONS,

SO WE HAVE TO DO IT VERY, VERY CAREFULLY,

BECAUSE IF THEY GET DAMAGED

THEN IT TAKES 3 YEARS TO MAKE NEW SEGMENTS.

♪♪

Narrator: DENTING OR SMASHING ANY SECTION OF DECK

COULD PUT THE ENTIRE PROJECT BACK BY MONTHS.

EVERY ONE OF THE WORKERS ARE VERY CONCENTRATED,

AND THEY DO IT SLOWLY, SLOWLY.

[ INDISTINCT CHATTERING ]

Narrator: THE GIANT SUPPORTS SLOWLY CLEAR THE DANGER ZONE.

♪♪

THE ARRIVAL OF THE DECK MARKS A MAJOR MILESTONE

FOR THIS PROJECT,

BUT THERE'S A PROBLEM.

WINTER IS RAPIDLY APPROACHING,

WHEN PLUMMETING TEMPERATURES AND FEROCIOUS WINDS

WILL STRIKE THIS REGION.

TO STAY ON SCHEDULE,

THE TEAM MUST INSTALL THE ENTIRE ROAD DECK BEFORE WINTER ARRIVES.

IF WE DON'T GET THE BRIDGE DECK UP BY THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER,

WE HAVE A LARGER RISK FOR HIGH WIND SPEED AND BAD WEATHER,

SO WE HAVE TO WORK FOR THIS TO HAPPEN

BEFORE THE WINTER SETS IN.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: IN NORWAY, ENGINEERS ARE BUILDING

THE LONGEST SUSPENSION BRIDGE

EVER ATTEMPTED IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE,

BUT THEY MUST INSTALL THE ENTIRE ROAD DECK BEFORE WINTER SETS IN.

THEIR FIRST TASK TO INSTALL THE CRUCIAL 110 HANGER CABLES

THAT WILL EVENTUALLY HOLD UP THE SEGMENTS OF ROAD DECK.

GIANT CLAMPS ARE DESIGNED TO SECURE THESE CABLES IN PLACE.

♪♪

WORKERS TEST THAT EACH CLAMP IS ABLE TO HOLD AROUND 7,000 TONS.

[ INDISTINCT CHATTERING ]

-FORTY-SEVEN. YEAH. -AH, OKAY.

GOOD. OKAY.

Narrator: WITH THE CLAMPS CHECKED, THE TEAM THEN SHIPS

EACH HANGER CABLE FROM THE SHORE

TO THE BRIDGE BY BARGE.

♪♪

Wei: WE HAVE 110 HANGERS TO INSTALL,

AND WE MUST WORK FAST.

Narrator: THIS HANGER CABLE WEIGHS AROUND 4 TONS.

[ SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

AND IT'S ALSO ONE OF THE LONGEST,

MEASURING MORE THAN 400 FEET.

RAISING THIS HUMONGOUS HANGER NEARLY 550 FEET

ABOVE THE FREEZING WATER

WILL BE NO SIMPLE TASK.

YU WEI'S TEAM UP ON THE BRIDGE LOWERS A WINCH LINE

DOWN TO YU GUI UN'S TEAM ON THE BARGE.

♪♪

IT'S A GOOD WEATHER FOR INSTALL THE HANGER.

NO WAVES. NO WIND.

PERFECT.

Narrator: WITH CONDITIONS LOOKING GOOD, THEY START THE BIG LIFT.

OKAY, WE ARE READY.

HERE WE GO.

[ SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: BARGE CAPTAIN ODDBJORN MARTIN LUTHER

KEEPS A CLOSE EYE ON THE WEATHER.

Martin Luther: YESTERDAY THERE WAS A LOT OF WIND.

TODAY, THE TIDE COMING IN, SO I HAVE TO HOLD THEM.

Narrator: ODDBJORN NEEDS TO ENSURE THE BARGE REMAINS PERFECTLY STEADY

ON THESE CONTINUALLY ROCKING WATERS.

IT'S THE MOST DIFFICULT IS TO KEEP HER IN PERFECT POSITION

SO THEY DON'T GET PROBLEMS ON DECK.

GOT OUR SPOT ON THE PILLAR HERE.

OKAY. KEEP IT IN PERFECT POSITION.

Narrator: THE BARGE TEAM MUST MAKE SURE THAT THE CABLE DOESN'T SNAG

OR KNOT AS IT UNCOILS.

♪♪

WE MUST BE CAREFUL DURING THE WHOLE PROCESS.

[ SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

♪♪

Narrator: TO PIN THE CABLE SECURELY INTO ITS CLAMP,

THEY BREAK OUT A HAMMER WORTHY OF THE NORSE GOD THOR.

[ CONVERSING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

♪♪

♪♪

WITH ONE FINAL WHACK...

-OKAY. -OKAY.

...THIS HUGE HANGER GOES INTO POSITION.

OKAY, STOP.

BUT IT'S A CONSTANT BATTLE TO BEAT THE TIDES...

Man: WHOA!

Narrator: ...AND WINDS

TO INSTALL THE REMAINING HANGERS

BEFORE THE ARCTIC STORMS BITE.

♪♪

♪♪

IT TAKES 2 WEEKS OF INTENSE WORK

TO GET ALL 110 HANGERS INTO PLACE.

IT'S GOING THROUGH. IT'S GOOD, VERY, VERY GOOD.

WE HAVE FINISHED. GOOD JOB.

GOOD JOB.

♪♪

Kaasen: EVERY HANGER IS PLACED.

IT LOOKS GOOD, AND THIS IS A MILESTONE

BECAUSE WE ARE ONE STEP CLOSER

TO GETTING THE BRIDGE DECK INSTALLED NOW.

♪♪

Narrator: THE TEAM ONLY HAS 7 WEEKS

TO INSTALL THE BRIDGE'S 30 DECK SECTIONS

BEFORE THE TEMPESTUOUS ARCTIC WEATHER

THREATENS TO SHUT DOWN CONSTRUCTION WORK.

Larssen: THE DECK INSTALLATION IS VERY CRITICAL

BECAUSE THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE WEATHER

IS INCREASING AS WE APPROACH THE WINTER TIME.

♪♪

[ SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

Narrator: BUT BEFORE THEY CAN INSTALL THE DECK,

THEY MUST PUSH THE BRIDGE'S TWO MASSIVE MAIN CABLES APART.

WE ARE UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE

TO SHIFT THE TWO MAIN CABLES.

Narrator: THIS IS THE PROBLEM --

THE WIDTH OF ROAD DECK MEASURES 61 FEET ACROSS,

BUT BECAUSE OF THE TOWER'S SLENDER A-SHAPE DESIGN,

THE MAIN CABLES ONLY SIT 10 FEET APART AT THE TOP.

AS THE CABLES SLOPE DOWNWARDS,

THEY WOULD START TO OBSTRUCT THE ROAD.

TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM, THE ENGINEERS PLAN TO SHIFT

THE GIANT CABLES FURTHER TO BE 51 FEET APART

AT THE CENTER OF THE BRIDGE.

THEIR IDEA IS TO USE A SERIES OF GIANT STEEL BEAMS,

FITTED WITH HYDRAULIC JACKS.

THESE SHIFTING BEAMS SHOULD SLOWLY FORCE THE CABLES APART

BY 3.9 INCHES PER PUSH.

THEY MUST REPEAT THIS PROCESS

UNTIL THE CABLES ARE CORRECTLY SPACED OUT

ALONG THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE SPAN.

♪♪

BUT ACTUALLY SPACING THE CABLES OUT

AND INSTALLING THE ROAD DECKS BEFORE WINTER SETS IN

IS MUCH EASIER SAID THAN DONE.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: AT THE LONGEST SUSPENSION BRIDGE EVER ATTEMPTED

IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE,

SITE ENGINEER YU WEI AND HIS TEAM

MUST PUSH THE TWO MAIN CABLES 51 FEET APART.

Wei: TODAY IS A BIG DAY.

WE HAVE SEVEN SHIFTING BEAMS,

AND THEN WE HAVE 40 PEOPLE ON THE SIDE.

NOW, WE ARE READY TO SHIFT THE TWO MAIN CABLES.

Narrator: WITH BEAMS AND TEAMS IN PLACE,

THEY START THE BIG PUSH.

HELLO.

IT TAKES AROUND 30 TONS OF HYDRAULIC FORCE FOR THE JACKS

TO SLOWLY PUSH THE TWO 2,000-TON CABLES APART INCH BY INCH.

♪♪

♪♪

HOLD.

[ CONVERSING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

Narrator: ONCE EACH JACK IS FULLY EXTENDED,

THE TEAM MUST RETRACT AND RESET THEM,

READY TO PUSH AGAIN.

♪♪

IT TAKES 6 HOURS TO PUSH THE CABLES 13 FEET APART.

♪♪

BUT JUST AS THE TEAM HITS ITS STRIDE...

WHEW! WHEW, WHEW, WHEW!

Narrator: ...THE WIND PICKS UP.

Kaasen: THE WIND SPEED IS RISING, SO WE WILL STOP THE SHIFTING

AND WAIT UNTIL THE WIND SETTLES.

Narrator: THE INCREASING WIND FORCES THE TEAM

TO ABANDON TODAY'S OPERATION.

IT IS VERY IMPORTANT IT'S FINISHED TOMORROW,

OR WE WILL RUN OUT OF TIME.

Narrator: WITH THE TEAM WAITING TO INSTALL THE DECK,

THIS DELAY COULDN'T HAVE HIT AT A WORSE TIME.

♪♪

[ SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

BUT THE NEXT DAY,

THERE'S A BREAK IN THE STRONG WINDS.

THE TEAM MUST FINISH JACKING THE BRIDGE'S

MAIN CABLES APART TO 51 FEET.

♪♪

[ MEN TALKING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE]

♪♪

YU WEI AND HIS TEAM WORK TIRELESSLY THROUGH THE DAY

TO HAUL THE CABLES APART.

♪♪

OKAY.

NOW WE HAVE FINISHED.

Narrator: SUCCESS.

AGAINST THE ODDS, THE WEATHER HOLDS OUT,

BUT NOW THE MOST DAUNTING WORK CAN BEGIN --

TO INSTALL THE BRIDGE'S ROAD DECK.

♪♪

♪♪

WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR 4 YEARS,

AND TOMORROW IT'S GOING TO BE LIFTED.

IT'S AMAZING.

Narrator: LIFTING THE SECTIONS OF ROAD DECK INTO PLACE

WILL BE THE TEAM'S TOUGHEST CHALLENGE TO DATE.

ONCE THEY START, THEY MUST NOT STOP

UNTIL AT LEAST THREE SECTIONS ARE FIXED INTO POSITION.

IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR US

TO HAVE THE THREE DECK SEGMENTS IN PLACE,

BECAUSE WHEN THE THREE SEGMENTS ARE IN PLACE IT'S STABLE,

AND THE FORECAST SAYS IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY WEATHER

FOR THE THREE NEXT DAYS.

SO, WE HAVE THIS LITTLE TIME WINDOW WITH GOOD WEATHER

AND WE CANNOT HAVE ANYTHING HAPPEN THAT DELAYS THIS PROCESS.

♪♪

Narrator: TO LIFT EACH OF THE 250-TON SECTIONS INTO PLACE,

THEY NEED TO USE THIS MAMMOTH FLOATING CRANE CALLED THE UGLEN.

[ CONVERSING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

Narrator: THE UGLEN IS THE BIGGEST FLOATING CRANE IN THE COUNTRY.

ITS GIANT LIFTING ARM SOARS NEARLY 400 FEET HIGH

AND HAS A LIFTING CAPACITY OF NEARLY 800 TONS.

BUT MAKING SURE THEY LIFT EACH PIECE OF ROAD DECK

INTO THE RIGHT SPOT WILL TAKE CAREFUL COORDINATION

AS THE VESSELS SHIFT AROUND ON THE WATER.

WE HAVE THE SHIP WITH THE BRIDGE DECK.

WE HAVE THE FLOATING CRANE.

SO IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT BOTH THESE BOATS ARE ANCHORED

CORRECTLY AND SAFE.

Narrator: THIS IS THE PLAN.

THE SHIP CARRYING THE DECK WILL CONNECT

TO FOUR ANCHOR POINTS IN THE WATER

AND TO TWO WINCHES MOUNTED BELOW THE TOWERS.

THESE WINCHES WILL PULL THE BOAT BACK AND FORTH

INTO THE CORRECT POSITION FOR EACH LIFT.

THE TEAM ALSO PLANS TO CONNECT THE FLOATING CRANE

TO BOTH THE ANCHOR POINTS AND THE SHIP CARRYING THE DECK.

THIS WILL ENSURE THAT THE TWO VESSELS MOVE IN UNISON

IN THE WATER.

THE CRANE WILL THEN LIFT UP EACH SECTION TO THE VERTICAL CABLES.

THEN, THE TEAM MUST CONNECT THEM TO THEIR MOUNTINGS.

THEY MUST REPEAT THIS PROCESS, JOINING AT LEAST THREE SECTIONS

TOGETHER WITHIN THE RAZOR-THIN WINDOW OF CALM WEATHER

OR THE DECK WON'T BE STABLE ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND

THE BATTERING FROM THE INCOMING STORM,

BUT ACTUALLY DOING THIS WON'T BE EASY.

THE PLATFORMS. GET READY TO LOWER DOWN.

EASY. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

[ CONVERSING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

♪♪

Narrator: THE FIRST MASSIVE DECK SECTION LIFTS OFF.

♪♪

♪♪

OH, IT'S COMING CLOSER AND CLOSER.

Narrator: THE CRANE SLOWLY RAISES THE FIRST 250-TON SECTION

TO ITS MOUNTS.

THE TEAM KEEPS A CLOSE EYE ON THE WEATHER.

A SUDDEN GUST NOW COULD BLOW THE GIANT CRANE

INTO THE MAIN CABLES AND CAUSE CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: WITH THE ARCTIC WINTER ON THE HORIZON,

ENGINEERS AND WORKERS ARE RACING TO INSTALL

THREE 250-TON DECK SECTIONS

ON THE HALOGALAND BRIDGE IN NORWAY

BEFORE BAD WEATHER PUTS AN END TO THEIR EFFORTS.

SO FAR IT'S LOOKED GOOD.

♪♪

[ INDISTINCT CHATTERING ]

[ SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

Narrator: THEY LINE UP THE DECK,

AND INSERT THE LOCKING PINS.

HO, HO, HO, HO.

NOW IT'S HAMMER TIME AGAIN.

[ INDISTINCT CHATTERING ]

MORE, MORE, MORE. HAMMER IT THAT WAY.

♪♪

IT TAKES OVER 3 HOURS

TO LOCK THE FIRST SECTION INTO PLACE.

PERFECT.

[ SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

NOW ALL PIN ARE INSTALLED,

SO NOW THEY WILL DISCONNECT CRANE AND THE LIFTING GEAR.

I FEEL VERY, VERY GOOD.

Narrator: THE FIRST SECTION OF DECK SUSPENDED FROM THE BRIDGE

MARKS A MAJOR MILESTONE FOR THE TEAM.

BUT THEY'RE RAPIDLY LOSING LIGHT.

ONE SEGMENT NOW, AND 29 TO GO NOW.

Narrator: IT'S TAKEN MOST OF THE DAY TO POSITION

THE FIRST SECTION OF BRIDGE DECK.

THEY CAN'T AFFORD ANY DELAYS IF THEY'RE GOING TO FINISH

BEFORE THE HIGH WINDS COME.

♪♪

[ INDISTINCT CHATTERING ]

Narrator: BUT AFTER 3 DAYS OF EXHAUSTING WORK,

THEY INSTALL ALL THREE DECKS.

IT LOOKS VERY GOOD. WE'RE GOING TO BE SAFE.

Narrator: WITH A HEFTY 750 TONS OF STEEL DECK INSTALLED,

THE BRIDGE IS NOW ROBUST ENOUGH TO SURVIVE A STORM.

♪♪

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

OVER THE NEXT 3 WEEKS, THE TEAM PICKS UP THE PACE.

THEY LIFT...

HAUL...

...AND SECURE THE NEXT 22 SEGMENTS

INTO PLACE ONE BY ONE.

♪♪

EVERYTHING GOES SMOOTHLY. I THINK IT'S OKAY.

♪♪

Narrator: BUT WITH JUST 18 DAYS UNTIL THE WINTER WEATHER

IS DUE TO ROLL IN, PROGRESS GRINDS TO A HALT.

STRONG WINDS AND FAST TIDES MAKE IT TOO DANGEROUS

TO LIFT THE LAST DECK SECTIONS INTO PLACE.

IT'S A HUGE SETBACK.

IT IS REALLY FRUSTRATING, BUT HEY,

WE ARE BUILDING THE LONGEST SUSPENSION BRIDGE

EVER ATTEMPTED IN THE ARCTIC,

SO WE WOULDN'T WANT TO BE CAUGHT ON THE HOOK,

AND THEN THE WIND WOULD RISE.

YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE A DISASTER.

Narrator: THE DELAYS DON'T JUST COST PRECIOUS TIME,

THEY ALSO THREATEN TO PUSH THIS $450 MILLION PROJECT

OVER BUDGET.

OPERATING COSTS $120,000 EACH DAY.

SO WE'RE ANXIOUS TO GET STARTED AND FINISH THE INSTALLATION

AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.

Narrator: WITH THE STRONG NORDIC WINDS RAGING THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS,

THE TEAM HAS NO OPTION BUT TO STOP WORKING

AND WAIT FOR CALMER WEATHER.

♪♪

♪♪

BUT AFTER A FEW DAYS, THE WINDS FINALLY DIE DOWN.

♪♪

DAGRUNN'S TEAM GEARS UP TO COMPLETE

THE LAST CRITICAL MILESTONE.

[ CONVERSING IN NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

Kaasen: RIGHT NOW, WE ARE WAITING FOR THE FLOATING CRANE

TO COME IN TO POSITION TO PUT UP THE LAST ELEMENT.

THIS IS REALLY EXCITING.

[ HORN BLOWS ]

Narrator: THIS IS THE MOMENT THEY'VE ALL BEEN WORKING TOWARDS

FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS.

THE FLOATING CRANE CARRIES THE FINAL DECK SECTION

TO THE BRIDGE.

WITH THE WIND AT BAY, THEY SEIZE THEIR CHANCE

TO START THE FINAL LIFT.

THE ENTIRE PROJECT HINGES ON THIS MOMENT.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: DEEP IN THE ARCTIC CIRCLE, IN NORWAY,

ALL EYES ARE FOCUSED ON THIS KEY MOMENT.

FOR THE PAST 4 YEARS, ENGINEERS AND WORKERS HAVE BEEN

LABORING THROUGH PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEM,

AND AT LAST, THEY START TO LIFT THE FINAL SECTION

TO COMPLETE THE ROAD DECK OF THE HALOGALAND BRIDGE.

I THINK IT'S GOING TO FIT.

Narrator: BUT IT WILL BE A TIGHT SQUEEZE

MANEUVERING THIS 131-FOOT-LONG PIECE INTO THE NARROW GAP.

[ MAN SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

ONE WRONG MOVE COULD PUT THE DECK SECTION

ONTO A COLLISION COURSE WITH THE REST OF THE BRIDGE.

[ INDISTINCT TALKING ]

THE CRANE SLOWLY RAISES THE DECK ABOVE THE ROADWAY.

THIS GIVES THE TEAM SOME SLACK TO CONNECT THE HANGER CABLES.

♪♪

WHEN THEY RELEASE THE CRANE, THEN IT WILL COME DOWN.

SO, I DON'T THINK WE REALLY HAVE THIS DIFFERENCE IN THE HEIGHT.

Narrator: WITH THE HANGERS CONNECTED,

THE CRANE SLOWLY LOWERS THE FINAL SEGMENT DOWN

TO ALLOW THE HANGERS TO TAKE THE FULL WEIGHT.

♪♪

♪♪

IT'S NOW THE MOMENT OF TRUTH.

WILL THE TWO SIDES OF THE BRIDGE LINE UP?

♪♪

♪♪

WITH STRONG TUGS ON THE CHAINS, THE BRIDGE JOINS TOGETHER.

[ HORN BLOWS ]

FOR DAGRUNN, KURT AND THE TEAM, IT'S A HUGE RELIEF

AND THE END OF AN EPIC JOURNEY.

WE ARE FINISHED.

WHOO!

TODAY, WE CAN START WALKING FROM THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BRIDGE

AND GO OVER TO THE SOUTH SIDE.

WE HAVE LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS MOMENT FOR A LONG TIME NOW.

Narrator: TO MARK THIS MOMENTOUS ACHIEVEMENT,

DAGRUNN AND HER TEAM MAKE THE VERY FIRST

CROSSING OVER THE NEW BRIDGE

TO CELEBRATE WITH THE REST OF THE CREW.

Kaasen: FIRST TRIP ON THE HALOGALAND BRIDGE.

♪♪

I REALLY WANT TO THANK EVERY ONE OF YOU

WHO HAS PARTICIPATED WITH ALL YOUR SKILLS.

TODAY, WE CELEBRATE THE NORWEGIAN WAY

WITH COFFEE AND CAKE.

SO, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF US FOR THIS MILESTONE.

THANK YOU. -THANK YOU.

[ APPLAUSE ]

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

♪♪

[ CHEERING ]

[ INDISTINCT CHATTERING ]

♪♪

Narrator: THE COMPLETION OF THE DECK MARKS THE KEY MILESTONE

IN THIS AMBITIOUS $450 MILLION PROJECT.

ALL THE MAJOR CONSTRUCTION WORK IS NOW COMPLETE.

THE TEAM HAS POURED 1.1 MILLION CUBIC FEET OF CONCRETE,

SECURED OVER 11,000 MILES OF WIRE INTO THE MOUNTAINS

AND INSTALLED 7,000 TONS OF STEEL ROAD DECK.

WELL, THIS WILL BE A LANDMARK, SO I CAN TELL ALL MY FRIENDS

THAT I HAVE BEEN BUILDING THIS BRIDGE.

THIS WILL BE A MEMORY FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.

[ CHEERING ]

Kaasen: IT'S QUITE THE CHALLENGE TO BUILD BRIDGES.

IT'S QUITE SPECIAL.

SO WHEN I GO BACK TO SITTING IN THE OFFICE,

I WILL MISS THESE DAYS.

Narrator: OVER THE COMING MONTHS, THE TEAM WILL WRAP THE CABLES

TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE ELEMENTS,

AND TOP THE STEEL DECK OFF WITH THE ALL-IMPORTANT TARMAC ROADWAY

TO COMPLETE THE BRIDGE.

WHEN WE HAVE THIS NEW ROAD, IT WILL BE SAVING LIVES.

♪♪

Narrator: FOR THE RESIDENTS OF NARVIK, THIS SIGNALS A HUGE STEP

TOWARDS A MORE PROSPEROUS FUTURE FOR THE AREA.

THIS BRIDGE MEANS THAT WE CAN DEVELOP OUR CITY.

THIS CONNECTION GOES DIRECTLY TO EUROPE,

AND I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE THIS BRIDGE OPENED.

[ LAUGHS ]

Narrator: THE BRAND-NEW HALOGALAND BRIDGE

WILL DRAMATICALLY CUT JOURNEY TIMES TO NEIGHBORING CITIES

AND PROVIDES A SAFER PASSAGE NORTH

FOR THE RESIDENTS,

ENSURING NARVIK THRIVES FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

♪♪