Date:
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Contact:
Chris Tams, Columbia Gorge Area Engineer, (866) 279-0730
Sylvia Ross, WSDOT Communications, (360) 905-2058
GOLDENDALE – The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will begin the US 97, Biggs Rapids - Sam Hill Memorial Bridge Deck Replacement Project in October 2007, rather than Summer 2007, as was previously planned. The community requested that the project, and full closure of the bridge, begin after the summer tourism season, and the engineers listened.
At a recent public open house in Rufus, Ore., the community expressed concern over the timeline of the scheduled bridge closure resulting from the construction. As a result of citizens’ comments at the public meeting, as well as e-mails, phone calls and letters asking that the bridge remain open during the summer months, WSDOT engineers decided to postpone the construction schedule to begin work, as well as the closure, in October.
“They asked and we listened. This is an attempt to balance the community’s request and still deliver a quality product in an efficient and safe manner,” said Chris Tams, WSDOT’s Project Engineer for the Columbia River Gorge. “We will monitor the structure and our goal is to keep it open until October. But if rapid deterioration occurs, we will err on the side of safety and close down earlier than planned.”
In an attempt to prolong the life of the bridge surface to accommodate the postponement of repairs, additional weight limit restrictions may be imposed in the fall of 2006.
Originally scheduled to take place in 2010, the construction will consist of replacing the current deteriorating bridge deck with a stronger, more durable concrete deck. The repair work was accelerated to start in 2007 due to the increased rate of deck deterioration. In addition to accelerating the project start date, the construction duration will be shortened by fully closing the bridge during construction.
The project is scheduled to be advertised for bids from interested contractors in 2007 and construction will begin shortly thereafter. The bridge will be closed during construction. The closure is expected to last between five and seven months. During construction, detour routes will be available. Detour routes include US 197 Dalles Bridge via I-84 or State Route 14. Another option for eastbound traffic is to cross at the I-82 Columbia River Bridge.
For more information about the Biggs Rapids – Sam Hill Memorial Bridge deck replacement project, please contact WSDOT’s Columbia Gorge Area Engineering Office by phone (360-759-1310), by e-mail (swgorge@wsdot.wa.gov), or visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/US97/BiggsBridge/.
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