Date:
Monday, June 19, 2006
Contact:
Joy Carpine, WSDOT Communications, (206) 915-6831 (Seattle)
SEATTLE – Washington State Department of Transportation bridge crews finished the annual inspection and maintenance work on the SR 520 Floating Bridge at 3 a.m. this morning (Monday, June 19).
During the 53-hour closure, engineers from the bridge preservation office and maintenance crews checked the structural integrity of the bridge, inspected targeted electrical and mechanical systems, and performed maintenance work on the draw span. This last work can only be done when there is no traffic.
Maintenance crews repaired guard rail, trimmed potentially dangerous trees, replaced glare screens, restriped sections of roads, replaced lights, filled potholes and repaired expansion joints.
Armed with data, engineers have returned to Olympia to analyze information from the weekend inspection. Engineers expect to release their preliminary findings on Wednesday, June 21. They will have no information prior to this time. WSDOT will announce when and where the findings will be released.
This summer’s inspection plays an especially important role in keeping the bridge safe and open to traffic, following rough winter storms that forced two separate emergency bridge closures. Last winter, storms damaged a number of the bridge’s draw span components, which have since been replaced or fixed.
Like the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the SR 520 Bridge is vulnerable to earthquakes, but is also susceptible to windstorms and high waves. The SR 520 Evergreen Point Bridge is now reaching the end of its useful life and must be replaced.
In 2005, the Washington State Legislature and Governor Gregoire passed the Transportation Partnership bill that provided $500 million for the SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Project. Future tolls will add an additional $700 million to that amount. Additional funding is still needed to fully fund the $3.2 billion project.
For more information visit the project Web site at www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR520Bridge.
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