Video: Trusses raised to roof of Notre Dame in rebuilding
Guided by ropes, trusses were placed on the roof around the site of the iconic spire, which crumbled in the fire.
PARIS, France — A crane lifted giant oak trusses from a barge and onto Notre Dame on Tuesday in a spectacular operation to rebuild the fire-ravaged monument and bring it back to life before December 2024.
With rigs weighing between 7 and 7.5 tons, the delicate activity drew crowds along the bridge over the Seine and its banks.
“I think it is a magical moment for many Parisians this morning,” said Transport Minister Clement Beaune, noting that the Seine will be the centerpiece of the Paris Olympics next year. 2024.
General Jean-Louis Georgelin, who was appointed by French President Emmanuel Macron to oversee the reconstruction of Notre Dame, said that even the heavy traffic expected during the Summer Olympics would did not stop the construction work of the world famous church.
“We will be working for the church during the Olympics to be ready by December 2024,” he said. “This is our goal.”
Notre-Dame Cathedral, which overlooks the historic center of Paris from an island on the Seine, was destroyed by fire in 2019. It was decided to rebuild the memorial using old method.
Professional carpenters used medieval techniques to build trusses that were 46 to 52 feet wide and 39 to 43 feet high.
Guided by ropes, trusses are placed on the roof around the site of the iconic spire, which crumbled in ashes in the fire, and the two arms of the transept, the House’s wooden skeleton worship Our Lady. A statement said the silhouette of the church, which currently rests on scaffolding, would rise on the horizon as work progressed.
