Date:  Monday, July 28, 2008

Contact: Bronlea Mishler, WSDOT Communications, 360-757-5947

BELLINGHAM – Crews will intermittently close both lanes of the Guide Meridian (SR 539) on Thursday night, July 31, to lift 10 large girders into place for a new bridge over Four Mile Creek.

As each girder is lifted into place, crews will need to completely close the road to traffic for up to 15 minutes at a time. Closures can occur at any time between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. At all other times, flaggers will direct traffic through the work zone. Drivers can expect delays.

Crews will need to close the road while they lift the girders for the safety of drivers. The girders are very large and heavy, and crews don't want drivers under or near them while they lift them above the road.

When possible, drivers should look for alternate routes around the construction zone because delays could last for up to 15 minutes and backups could stretch for a half-mile or more.

The girders span the creek and are the concrete support beams for the roadway on the new bridge. Once crews place all the girders, they will begin building the new road surface on top.

Find more details about the Guide widening project on the project Web page: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR539/HortonTenMile/  

Share your thoughts about the Guide project on the new blog: http://guidemeridian.blogspot.com

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