Date:  Sunday, May 31, 2009

Contact: Becky Hixson, WSDOT Communications, 360-870-8130

SHINE – Before the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge can reopen to traffic, WSDOT and Kiewit-General must complete 20 perfect openings to meet operational standards for providing a safe and reliable draw span. Those tests are scheduled to start Tuesday morning. Accomplishing this will provide a clear view on when the bridge will be ready for 16,000 vehicles that cross it daily.

“This closure has been hard but our contractors and crews have done an exceptional job getting the project to this point,” said Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation Secretary. “We are proud to be on the verge of opening the bridge more than a week ahead of our six-week schedule. We will provide more information every day from now to the opening, narrowing down the time frame as much as we can each day.”

So far this weekend, crews from contractor Kiewit-General and WSDOT have continued working hard to complete to following operations:

• Pulling together or “tensioning” pontoon UVWX/RST joint – completed 56/60
• Truss and transition span expansion joints – started work on all eight
• Electrical wire installation and connecting and final ballasting – continued work
• Bolting structural connections – bolting completed, final tensioning started

The exact opening time is still unknown because the testing work is unpredictable. Even if the crews have 19 successful tests and then the draw span doesn’t work on the 20th test, they must begin the testing sequence with a count of zero once again. An update on draw span work and testing progress will be provided on Monday afternoon.

After the bridge is open, WSDOT will continue to provide transportation services for the day the bridge opens and one day after to help travelers return to their normal commute. Drivers are encouraged to plan ahead by visiting http://www.hoodcanalbridge.com/ or by calling 1-877-595-4222.

See the latest project photos at Flickr or read about construction updates on the Hood Canal Bridge blog. The Hood Canal Bridge retrofit and replacement will improve the existing east half, making it wider, safer and more reliable.

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