No lane closures are planned, but drivers should stay focused on the road
SNOQUALMIE – Beginning Monday, July 8, through Thursday, July 11, design-builder Aecon, working for the Washington State Department of Transportation, will install girders for a new bridge on State Route 18 that spans the entire width of the Raging River valley.
People traveling on SR 18 south of the city of Snoqualmie the week of July 8 may see cranes hoisting and setting girders that range in size from 96 to 135 feet long and weigh between 45 and 61 tons.
Crews will set girders next to the existing SR 18 bridge daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. No lane closures are needed for the work. Drivers should avoid becoming distracted by the aerial activity, stay focused on the road and follow instructions from crews in the area.
The new bridge is part of the Interstate 90/SR 18 Interchange Improvements project, which also widens more than two miles of SR 18 south of I-90.
Improving safety and traffic flow
When complete, this second Raging River bridge will carry two lanes of westbound SR 18, while the existing bridge will carry two eastbound lanes. The project already has built a new four-lane bridge over Lake Creek and is building another four-lane bridge over Deep Creek just east of the existing roadway.
Along with the bridges and widening SR 18, the project builds a diverging diamond interchange at the I-90/SR 18 interchange and corrects six barriers to fish passage. Weather permitting, travelers will begin using the new diverging diamond interchange in late November. The expanded roadway is expected to be in full use by the end of the year.
The $190 million I-90/SR 18 improvements project is fully funded through preexisting gas tax funds and the 2015 Connecting Washington transportation fund.