The Traylor Construction Group (TCG) began Day Ten with omelets and spinach spring rolls before we headed to site—just in time for the skies to open up. After a week of mostly dry weather, the rain came down hard, delaying work with a two-hour downpour. While waiting it out, Ashley and Crispin stayed productive by inspecting and preparing equipment under shelter, and Abby taught Eddie, Patrick, and Rick “Down by the Banks” and “Concentration 64.”
Once the rain let up, the team got to work. Eddie cut planks using the grinder and portaband while Caleb hauled 50kg bags of cement to the lower abutment. Justin, Ashley, and Crispin, along with a few locals, performed quality control checks on the u-bolts securing the cross beams. Nearby, local masons—with community support—continued finishing the higher side abutment that had been started on Friday.
Patrick, Rick, and local volunteers made steady progress on the fencing. Abby, Ashley, and our B2P Corporate Project Manager regrouped on how to fill in the final gaps in the decking, ultimately deciding to reinstall a swing that had previously been removed for spacing. Caleb proposed a smart solution: raise the swing and plank into place from the ground, which worked smoothly.
At tea, we enjoyed chicken and carrot sandwiches with banana bread before heading back to work. Eddie continued custom-cutting planks, this time with Caleb’s help, and even showed Crispin how to use the grinder. Justin wrapped up his bolt checks while the fencing crew kept going. Abby played a key role in getting the final pieces of decking and the splices that Eddie had custom made into place. She also assisted Justin with torquing and adding any additional bolts needed on the decking panels to ensure everything was secure.
Lunch featured carrot rice, savory plantains, meat sauce, sautéed onions, watermelon, and pineapple. Afterward, Rick completed the upstream fencing, while Caleb began painting the posts on the fixed side a deep blue-purple. Ashley joined in later, and she and Abby installed the final custom planks in the center of the bridge—officially completing the deck. To demonstrate the structure’s stability, Caleb gave the bridge a jump and a shake, much to the excitement of the local crew. Justin and a group of locals followed up by torquing all remaining deck bolts, especially those connected to custom-sized pieces.
After returning to our accommodations and cleaning up, we wrapped up the day with a dinner of saffron rice, potatoes, vegetable pasta, beans, and pea and carrot stew. During dinner, the team shared kudos with Eddie for his fabrication skills—Rick even declared that Eddie needs an “Eddie’s Fab Shop,” a sentiment everyone clearly agreed with. A short evening meeting gave us the opportunity to share highlights, challenges, and the plan for tomorrow. We ended the night with games of Phase 10—and introduced our B2P Corporate Project Manager to Nerd Clusters.
