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A Hillsboro-based rigging company’s effort to move a 3,400-ton Sellwood Bridge truss span without a hitch in January 2013 has earned national recognition.

The Specialized Carriers & Rigging Association honored Omega Morgan for Rigging Job of the Year in the $150,000-$750,000 category at its annual conference April 26 in Boca Raton, Fla.

Omega Morgan completed the job in 15 hours – much fewer than the 48 allotted by Multnomah County to avoid traffic disruptions, said Ralph DiCaprio, vice president of engineering.

The move proved challenging because of a heavy residential presence on the river’s east side. As a result, Omega Morgan moved the bridge 66 feet on the west side of the river and only 33 feet on the east side; the entire span shifted two feet eastward, DiCaprio said.

“We had to swing it on an angle,” he said. “That really complicates the whole movement – how you proportionally distribute the hydraulic flow to each set of push and pulls.”

Omega Morgan used Dove dish soap to keep the skid beams lubricated and minimize the jacking forces needed to move the truss downriver. The company uses dish soap for rigging projects such as barge and ship launches, DiCaprio said.

“If you use oil, (you’re) not going to be able to contain it all,” he said. “Dish soap doesn’t leave a slick and it’s biodegradable.”

Omega Morgan was one of six companies – and the only one from the Pacific Northwest – honored by the association.