Air Handler Project Will Temporarily Close West Parking Lot at Mary Lanning Healthcare

A 19-ton, 346-foot-tall crane will dominate the skyline on the west side of Mary Lanning Healthcare from Friday, September 25 through Sunday, September 27, as part of a project to place new air handlers onto the MLH roof.

Brian Hessler, MLH Engineering Director, said the employee parking lot at West Seventh Street and North Denver Avenue will be blocked off for use by crews who will be bringing the crane in pieces and assembling it on site. The new air handlers, which replace an aging system, will be lifted by the crane over Denver Avenue and onto the hospital roof. Workers already have the structure in place on the west side of the building to hold the large units.

Hessler said nine semitrailer trucks will be bringing in the equipment needed for the project beginning around 9 a.m. Friday morning. Crews will spend most of Friday on assembly and the units will be lifted on Saturday if all proceeds according to plan. Wind speeds will be an important factor that might delay the project, Hessler said. The crane will be taken down on Sunday and reloaded onto semis in the parking lot for transport.

Denver Avenue should remain open for the entirety of the project, Hessler said, even as the crane lifts the air handlers over the street. Workers and flagmen will be present so drivers should remain aware while using Denver Avenue throughout the weekend.

"This project is part of a planned infrastructure update at MLH," Hessler said. "We hope it will proceed without much interruption to traffic. We thank MLH employees and neighbors for their patience as we continue to keep our building and systems as up to date as possible.