Date:  Monday, September 28, 2009

Contact:
Jeff Cook, WSDOT Project Engineer, 253-305-6424
Kelly Stowe, WSDOT Communications, 360-357-2716

SHINE - The SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge project is in the homestretch, but with two months to go, there is still plenty of work to do – including the most extensive testing the bridge has undergone.

Starting tonight, Sept. 28, and continuing through the month of October, motorists can expect intermittent closures to vehicle traffic, lasting up to 90 minutes, weeknights between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. During this time, crews will perform extensive functional testing of the bridge.

“Functional testing requires going through a 90-page manual of requirements to test every part and every system for the west-half mechanical and electrical rehab,” said Jeff Cook, Hood Canal Bridge Project Engineer. “This provides us the opportunity to ensure the bridge functions correctly and to make any necessary adjustments as we are dialing in the systems.”

Following functional testing the bridge will be put through a 20-cycle testing procedure – the exact analysis crews performed on the east half this summer. Following the west half 20-cycle test, the east and west spans will be tested simultaneously to demonstrate how they function together.

Motorists will still experience intermittent daytime closures as necessary for scheduled marine openings.

Since opening the bridge – with its new east half – to vehicular traffic in early June, contractor Kiewit General has completed about $14 million of work. Crews still need to complete about $6 million of contract work to perform. There are still more than 100 contract employees working on the bridge project.

“The bridge has been open to traffic nearly four months now, but the work to rehabilitate the mechanical and electrical systems on the west half has continued and will continue through the fall,” Cook said. “With that work comes testing, and impacts to vehicle and marine traffic.”

Hood Canal Bridge Project online: http://www.hoodcanalbridge.com/.

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