2009 Winter Photos - Urban Renewal

Less than 2 weeks before sunset in March, a sudden decision was made to excavate and remove the access hatch to Old Pole...and the work started here with this preliminary excavation of the entrance. This picture was taken on 11 March (ED).

But first, jump back a bit. Not all the way, as a good portion of this site is devoted to the IGY station now known as Old Pole. That place has been nominally off limits since 1977...but in the mid 90s it was decided that it was worth recovering fuel and other stuff. Between 1996 and 1998 there was a project to recover fuel from the bladders in the fuel arches, as well as timbers used in construction of the new station, hazardous waste, and other items of value. At that time the top of the entrance shaft was still above the surface as seen in these 1995-96 photos:

The entrance shaft had originally been furnished as one of several extensions to the dome emergency exit ladder; the design team presumed it would get buried more deeply than it ever did. It was installed atop the "Holy Stairs" main entrance vestibule at some point in the late 1980s, complete with a steel lid (more on that lid later). Okay, back to 14 March 2009...