Date:  Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Contact: Colin Newell, WSDOT Project Engineer, (866) 713-2412 toll-free (Chehalis)
Abbi Russell, WSDOT Communications, (360) 905-2058 (Vancouver)

Join WSDOT and Scarsella Bros. as they cut the ribbon on the new S. Fork Chehalis River Bridge

CURTIS – The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and its contractor, Scarsella Bros., Inc., invite the public to celebrate completion of a wider, safer bridge on SR 6 in western Lewis County.

The SR 6, South Fork Chehalis River Bridge Replacement project is the first of four projects, funded through the 2005 gas tax package, to replace bridges on SR 6 in Lewis and Pacific counties. The Rock Creek bridges just west of Pe Ell and the Lilly Wheaton Bridge near Menlo are scheduled for replacement in 2013.

“Between these four projects, WSDOT is investing over $32 million on SR 6 in Lewis and Pacific counties, bringing improved safety and efficiency to drivers and communities that rely on this route,” said WSDOT Southwest Regional Administrator Don Wagner. “It is a pleasure to cut the ribbon on the first project and look ahead to the next three.”

The SR 6, South Fork Chehalis River Bridge project replaced the existing 22-foot-wide bridge, which was built in 1925, with a wider, safer bridge built to current earthquake standards. The new 40-foot-wide bridge will carry two 12-foot lanes with 8-foot shoulders and was constructed on a new alignment 20 feet to the north, flattening the curve at the east end of the bridge.

Building a more modern bridge will help improve safety and reduce congestion on SR 6 by giving traffic more room to maneuver and eliminating the need for vehicles to slow before crossing.

The ribbon cutting event, hosted by WSDOT, is Tuesday, Sept. 8 at 11 a.m. and will feature remarks by 20th District Senator Dan Swecker, 19th District Representative Dean Takko, Lewis County Commissioner Lee Grose, and other state and local elected officials.

The bridge will be open to single-lane traffic by 2 p.m. Tuesday and fully open by Friday, September 11.

For more information on the SR 6, South Fork Chehalis River Bridge project, please visit the project Web page at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR6/ChehalisRiverBridge.

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WSDOT keeps people, businesses and the economy moving by operating and improving the state's transportation systems. To learn more about what we're doing, including pictures, videos, news and blogs go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/news. Get real time weather, traffic, construction alerts, pass conditions, ferry, railroad, and airline information at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic or dial 5-1-1. TTY users - call 1-800-833-6388.

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