Date:
Friday, April 28, 2006
Contact:
Becky Hixson, Hood Canal Bridge Communications Manager, (253) 305-6450
TACOMA - Less than six months after Washington State Department of Transportation and its contractor, Kiewit-General of Poulsbo, began work at Concrete Technology in Tacoma, WA, 140 cubic yards of concrete flowed into the first new Hood Canal Bridge pontoon.
This important milestone was accomplished between 6 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., Friday, April 28. The concrete pour is the first of 21 required to construct one draw span pontoon.
"Placing concrete for the pontoons is difficult," said Eric Soderquist, project director. "Careful attention to detail is essential to get the concrete in and around all the rebar, piping and conduit. Outstanding workmanship leading up to the pour resulted in successful concrete placement and ultimately, a quality pontoon."
Kiewit-General workers assembled wood pontoon forms and rebar sections in outlying work areas before construction began inside the graving dock. Completing these tasks allowed crews to work efficiently inside the graving dock, saving both time and costs to the project.
Site preparation at Concrete Technology began in November 2005. Pontoon construction began in early March 2006.
WSDOT and Kiewit-General will construct all 14 new pontoons inside the 150-foot wide by 465-foot long Concrete Technology graving dock by completing construction over four cycles, or phases. Three pontoons are being built in this first cycle. Five pontoons will be constructed in the second cycle, four pontoons in the third cycle and two pontoons in the fourth cycle.
Another three pontoons, built during the west-half bridge replacement in the early 1980s, will be retrofitted. The completed east-half pontoon roadway sections and fully assembled east-half draw span will be floated into place during the bridge closure in May and June 2009.
When finished, the Hood Canal Bridge will be wider, safer, and more affordable to maintain. For SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge Project information, visit www.hoodcanalbridge.com .
Visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic for weather and roadway information. Highway construction and maintenance updates are available on-line
www.wsdot.wa.gov/regions/olympic/construction or by calling 5-1-1.
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