For the Discovery Channel Series, "Extreme Engineering", a film crew visited the Palatka, Florida PDM Bridge Plant in July of 2005 to film the fabrication of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
They boarded the plane in London, arrived in Orlando and drove to... Palatka, Florida. The three-man Discovery Channel film crew then descended upon PDM's plant for nearly a week of filming.
The Discovery Channel, with viewers in 485 million households in 160 countries, showcases PDM's fabrication of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. PDM's Palatka, Florida and Eau Claire, Wisconsin plants worked together to fabricate and build the bridge.
"We were told the Woodrow Wilson bascule bridge was going to be impressive because it is the biggest bridge anyone has heard of...the biggest in the world," said Chris Walker, producer and director of the documentary. "We figured this would impress our audience."
He said Discovery Channel researchers comb the world for amazing engineering projects, found the Woodrow Wilson bridge, then sent his crew not just to Palatka to tape its fabrication, but also to Washington, D.C., to tape the "Big Lift."
The show is part of a series of documentaries about extreme engineering feats. For example, another segment features the largest indoor ski slope in the world now under construction in the desert of Dubai. The Woodrow Wilson Bridge is the only U.S. project included.
Walker and his assistants, Marcus (cameraman) and John (sound engineer) filmed fabrication of the bridge's girders, interviewed employees, taped barge activity and captured the work in Palatka, filming as many as 12 hours a day.
The first two leaves of the Wilson bascule were on the barge when the Discovery Channel crew arrived. They filmed its arrival in Washington, D.C., on the Potomac River, then stayed to document the slow drama of the "Big Lift," when all 466 tons of the two leaves successfully were lifted up and bolted into place.
"I've been doing documentaries for 15 years for BBC," he said. I make arts documentaries-music and history-and I want to bring that kind of sensibility to this one.
He added that what he was looking for in Palatka was "the character" behind the engineering marvels.
Palatka employees made a special effort to explain the Wilson Bridge's fabrication, said Plant Manager Ben Bristol. "Everyone did a great job showcasing the work PDM is doing to solve a major U.S. traffic problem," he said. "We're excited to be sharing this story with world audiences."
The Discovery Channel team interviewed PDM President and CEO John Grzybowski, who was thrilled the story of PDM's employees, and the challenges they face, will be viewed by people worldwide.
"PDM is a company made up of very dedicated people," he said. "We are a small company, and all of us work in America's small towns, yet we take on the most challenging projects out there. Palatka employees even had to deal with the destruction and aftermath of three hurricanes during the construction of this bridge. But we never gave up; we just kept facing challenges to get the job done on time and on budget."
The existing Wilson Bridge was built by PDM in 1961 for a capacity of 75,000 vehicles driving over the Potomac between Virginia and Maryland. The new bridge, consisting of eight lanes of traffic, a rail line, bike/pedestrian paths and shoulders is geared to handle 300,000 vehicles. The new bridge solves the now daily traffic jam problem for years to come.
To purchase a copy of the Discovery Channel program featuring PDM Bridge, click here to visit their web site. To learn more about The Woodrow Wilson Bridge, visit their web site here.
