How a Dutch company with experience moving big things will slide the new Commercial Street Bridge into place

Now that the old Commercial Street Bridge is down, the new bridge will be front and center as it's slid into place. It's a monumental task, but the company tasked with it, Mammoet, said it's nothing new to them.

About 22 million pounds of steel, concrete and metal need to move only a short distance, but don't expect it to be a quick process. The max speed of the skid shoes is 6 meters an hour. That's roughly 20 feet.

"You'll need to get your timelapse camera out in order to see something happen at a reasonable speed," Mammoet public relations manager David Shaw said.

The speed is to make sure the bridge isn't damaged during the move. According to a spokesperson for Mammoet, the skid shoes are controlled by software that has the accuracy to track the bridge.

"At the end of the day, we want to make sure that we've completed the job safely and efficiently and have not caused undue stress to the structure," Shaw said.

Before they start the move, debris needs to be cleaned out. Crews will also check and make sure the skid shoes and other equipment are not damaged, but they are confident everything is okay.

"The adequate measures have been taken to protect the skid system, so that's not an issue of concern," Shaw said.

For the Dutch company doing all this work, it's another day at the office. They've moved offshore rigs and buildings. After months of prep for this project, they feel ready.

"We do this kind of thing on a weekly basis. The only thing that changes is the shape of the load," Shaw said.