They are headed to the Spillway structure some 30 feet away and over the raging waters of the flooding Mississippi River where they will work on lifting the needles out of the bays that releases the water into the Spillway. One fall either way would be disastrous. With a 20 mph wind and a small space in which to move.....I give them my admiration.
I see the first man has a harness on so I expect they are using fall protection. Not like the old days. But still the lot of many utility type workers.