TACOMA - Web users can now get an inside view of State Route 104 Hood Canal Bridge pontoon construction 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week by visiting www.hoodcanalbridge.com. The Washington State Department of Transportation installed a Hood Canal Bridge Project pontoon construction camera at Concrete Technology in Tacoma to provide area residents with up-to-the-minute construction progress photos.
This system is a simple, effective and time-saving way for Hood Canal Bridge users to be involved in the construction process. Olympia and Kitsap Peninsula residents who rely on the bridge for transportation to and from work, school and medical appointments, can watch the project progress without driving to Tacoma, donning a hard hat, vest, safety glasses and boots, and tramping through the construction site.
The camera takes a digital image every 15 minutes. Camera controls allow users to zoom in and out of the picture, search through the photos that have been taken to date and e-mail a photo. The photos will be available throughout the life of the project to use as part of construction management, project communication and environmental reporting efforts.
At the end of pontoon construction, this camera will be moved to the Hood Canal Bridge site to photograph pontoon float-in. Another camera will be installed at Todd Shipyards to document pontoon assembly, outfitting and testing. Between November 2005 and December 2010, the Hood Canal Bridge Team will utilize six different sites around the Puget Sound to complete the project. The cameras allow the project an opportunity to overcome some of the challenges associated with operating multiple construction sites.
The cameras were purchased from OxBlue Corporation, an Atlanta-based company that focuses on providing Web cameras to large construction projects. Currently, five other transportation departments across the United States are using this world-class technology to provide public access to state construction projects.
For real-time views of Hood Canal Bridge traffic camera images, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/. For Hood Canal Bridge project information, visit www.hoodcanalbridge.com.