EVERETT, WA / ACCESS Newswire / May 30, 2025 / Nordholm Companies has announced the successful completion of a high-stakes sea fastening and marine logistics operation for the Juneau Creek Bridge, which will become Alaska's longest bridge. In collaboration with Curtin Maritime, Traylor Bros., Stinger, and Connolly Pacific, Nordholm engineered and executed the barge-based transport of over 40 massive steel girders across the Pacific Ocean to the remote Alaskan site.
The Challenges of the Operation
This operation enabled the timely delivery of all girders to Alaska, without which bridge construction would have stalled. To add even more pressing urgency to the matter, with Alaska's unique climate and low temperatures, it would have brought about severe weather risks if the shipping were delayed until late fall.
In addition to this ticking clock, there were numerous other challenges at play. For example, the ultra-tight deck layout left only about a foot between beams. Additionally, the bridge needed components forged in accordance with a custom structural steel plan to account for ocean movement. Furthermore, orchestrating multi-party coordination between five different entities in total, all to meet a seven-week deadline, proved to be a taxing process, as did the complex lifting and securing of the over-dimensional beams.
"The real challenge wasn't the weight," said Greg Nordholm, P.E., lead engineer and founder of Nordholm Companies. "It was how tight the layout had to be. There was barely a foot of space between each girder. Designing a steel plan that allowed us to keep everything low and secure on that limited deck area-that's where our decades of expertise came in."
"This was a true team effort across companies and states," added Chris Weinman, Construction Manager at Nordholm Companies. "The girders had extreme dimensions-13 feet tall with a 36-inch base-and had to be secured precisely to ensure a seaworthy journey to Alaska."
A Massive Alaskan Undertaking
Every girder, measuring over 100 feet in length and weighing as much as 160,000 pounds, was manufactured by Stinger in Arizona and subsequently shipped to Long Beach, CA. In Long Beach, Connolly Pacific oversaw the crane operations to "trip and fly" the girders onto the barge, where Nordholm Companies installed custom-engineered sea fastening under significant time constraints.
David Dugan, the Superintendent at Nordholm, and Chris Weinman, the Construction Manager, guided the field team during a challenging seven-week period to prepare all girders for transport. Curtin Maritime managed the barge and shipping logistics, while Traylor Bros. is ready for the deliveries to commence the bridge construction in Alaska.
"We had to hit the shipping deadline before the Gulf of Alaska's weather turned dangerous," said Nordholm. "If we missed that window, the entire project could have been delayed."
"The teamwork between Traylor, Curtin Maritime, and Nordholm was excellent," Greg added. "It made an extremely challenging project both fun to execute and professionally satisfying."
The Future of Nordholm Companies
Nordholm Companies is currently planning several major international moves, including:
Three container cranes from Long Beach to Chile
A dry dock move from San Diego to Namibia
Drill rig transport in Prudhoe Bay
For large-scale marine logistics, Nordholm seeks cargo transport projects exceeding $100K, particularly those involving heavy lifting and limited barge space. For more information, visit https://nordholmcompanies.com.
About Nordholm Companies
With over 35 years of experience in ocean cargo transport, including ship-to-shore cranes, dry docks, and oversized equipment, Nordholm Companies continues to be a leading name in marine heavy logistics.
Contact
Riley Evans
Email: riley.evans@nordholm.net
Phone: 425-259-0213
Everett, WA
Website: https://nordholmcompanies.com
SOURCE: Nordholm Companies
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
