After almost 150 years, it comes down to hours and minutes - and this morning the future of Cleveland Bridge looks as dark as it has ever done.
There has still been no confirmation of any actual bids - due by midnight - and no sign of any more emergency funding to keep production going.
If it happens now it will be a Cleveland miracle. It’s possible until the last second, of course, but so much more unlikely as the clock keeps ticking.
A meeting at 2pm today looks like the key moment for more than 200 workers at the site and hundreds more in the supply chain working for this much-loved giant which is in grave danger of being left to rust away.