Workers suspended from ropes will be lowered into the charred remains of scaffolding that melted atop Notre Dame when the cathedral went up in flames to begin the delicate job of dismantling the 200 tons of metal.
The work will start on Monday and last through the summer months, according to the office overseeing the restoration of the centuries-old jewel of Gothic architecture, which was ravaged by fire on April 15 2019.
Two teams of five workers each will take turns descending on ropes into the heat-warped web of scaffolding, made up of 40,000 pieces, and cut with saws through metal tubes that fused together in the inferno.
The chunks will then be lifted out by a crane.
The imposing tower of scaffolding was erected before the blaze for the restoration of Notre Dame’s spire that was then toppled and destroyed by the flames.
Teams have spent months consolidating the structure with metal girders so it can be dismantled without collapsing.
The cathedral is still closed, and will be for several years during renovations.