Link-Belt TCC-1200s assist $44M bridge build

Two 120-ton Link-Belt Cranes TCC-1200 telecrawlers are expediting the build of a new $44 million bridge expansion project in lower southeast Texas near the Mexican border.

The revamped structure, the new Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, will serve as a major trade hub between Mexico and the United States, doubling the capacity of the preexisting four-lane structure and featuring a length of over a mile and a half long. Scheduled for completion by the end of 2025, the IOC Company, L.L.C. of Edinburg, Texas, is using the TCC-1200s to form pile bents, ranging from 11–40 feet tall, as part of the first phase of construction.

IOC crane operator Max Gutierrez said the telecrawlers’ supreme maneuverability makes them invaluable, as they frequently move a half mile between partially made bents. They can pick and carry forms, rebar cages, and other equipment easily between the 60-foot-spaced lined columns with boom retracted and no need for outriggers, allowing Gutierrez to work fast and efficiently.

“It’s so much fun to operate these cranes and maneuver around the job site. It’s something very special,” Gutierrez said. “Since the area is a bit congested, with this type of machine, I can swing around and track sideways and track backwards easily. I can pick and carry with no problem.”

Gutierrez said the TCC-1200’s Link-Belt Pulse system, which displays its parameters, counterweights, boom length and more, is simple to set up and even easier to understand, as well. Paired with the crane’s camera package and joystick-operational travel, he said the TCC-1200 is a machine that sells itself.

“This is one piece of equipment I’d recommend for any operator,” Gutierrez said. “You’re going to enjoy operating the 120-ton telescopic crawler. I guarantee it.”