Date:  Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Contact: Contact: Dave Chesson, Communications, 360-757-5970 (Burlington)

BURLINGTON – Expect at least a couple noisy weeks near the I-5 interchange as crews pound their way to a new bridge foundation. The pounding began in earnest on Monday, Sept. 22, and will continue for the next two to three weeks.

Crews will work Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until the work is complete.

The pilings (supports) are for the new southbound I-5 on- and off-ramps at the SR 20 interchange. The noise is coming from a machine that is mounted on a tall crane and acts like a giant hammer to pound each of the 70 pilings into the ground. The pilings look like giant, hollow, steel tubes, and each one is approximately 80 feet in length.

Crews had hoped to work shorter hours each day as well as only working Monday through Friday. But due to a recent mechanical failure, the last pile driving machine and crane were damaged and needed to be replaced, so crews are putting in longer hours to get back on schedule.

For more information on the Fredonia to I-5 widening project, visit the project Web page at www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR20/sr536fredonia.

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