Date:  Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Contact:
Becky Hixson, WSDOT Communications, (253) 305-6450
Joe Irwin, WSDOT Communications, (253) 305-6412

SHINE – Drivers can expect delays on the Hood Canal Bridge this week as WSDOT and its contractor Kiewit-General prepare to upgrade the connection point between the bridge’s east and west halves.

Three, 30-minute closures are scheduled from 10-10:30 a.m., 1-1:30 p.m. and 3-3:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21 to allow crews to review, clean and repair sections along the end of the west draw span pontoon. Aging timber currently works as a cushion between the east and west draw spans, preventing concrete damage when the bridge closes.

This week’s maintenance work will help prepare the west draw span for a rubber bumper that will match up with east draw span when it is installed next May-June.

“Completing this type of maintenance now is important because it shows how we are committed to our six-week closure timeline in 2009,” said Region Administrator Kevin Dayton. “Every hour spent preparing the bridge this year is one less hour we’ll have to close it next year.”

The bumper replacement is another sign that work on the Hood Canal Bridge is moving forward, and a reminder to drivers that the bridge will be closing in May-June 2009.

The Hood Canal Bridge retrofit and replacement project is 82 percent complete and will improve the existing east half, making it wider, safer and more reliable. For more information, visit http://www.hoodcanalbridge.com/.

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