The English Bay barge's 15 minutes of fame are ticking down, but the city says it'll be a slow-moving clock.
Vancouver Pile Driving (VanPile) is going to be taking the beached barge apart and removing it piece-by-piece, according to a press release from the City of Vancouver.
"Following a detailed structural assessment of the vessel and its hull, engineers have determined it is not possible to refloat the barge," says the city in the release. "A process is now underway to remove the barge over the coming months by taking it apart in pieces."
The deconstruction of the 1,800 ton rectangular prism made of steel is estimated to take 12 to 15 weeks according to the city, but what day work begins isn't known yet. The city promised to inform the public when it is about to begin.
If work were started tomorrow, Feb. 10, then work could potentially last until the end of May. When Vancouver Is Awesome spoke with the company that owns the barge, they noted there are often hiccups with this type of work.
VanPile won't be working on the project alone, as a variety of government agencies, including Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, will be involved. Efforts will be taken to minimize the impact to fish and the surrounding environment during the process says the city.
For those hoping to watch the barge slowly disappear it will be difficult to get a close up view; the city will be surrounding the barge with fencing and detours while it becomes a work site, which means no chilling at Barge Chilling Beach.
