Date:
Friday, February 02, 2007
Contact:
Becky Hixson, Hood Canal Bridge Communications Manager, (253)
305-6450
TACOMA – The first half of the concrete floor for the fourth new SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge pontoon was completed today at 11:45 a.m. This work brings pontoon construction above the 40 percent completion mark.
This pontoon, named NB, is one of five currently under construction at Concrete Technology in Tacoma. WSDOT and its contractor, Kiewit-General, began construction on these second cycle pontoons Dec. 7, 2006, one day after the first three new pontoons were floated out of the graving dock.
Two-hundred cubic yards of concrete were placed between 6 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. This milestone moves the project one step closer to meeting its May-June 2009 bridge closure and replacement date.
“This year will be the busiest construction season in the life of the Hood Canal Bridge Project,” said Scott Ireland, project construction manager. “Focusing on delivering what we promised to the public is what helps our crews complete each step of the process on time and on budget.”
2007 Hood Canal Bridge Project Construction Schedule:
- Pontoons PA, PB and Q will be moved from Seattle’s Pier 66 to Todd Pacific Shipyards this summer for assembly and outfitting.
- 1980’s pontoons R, S and T are undergoing roadway replacement at Seattle’s Pier 91. When this work is completed in the fall, the pontoons will be towed back to Port Gamble Bay.
- The first 10 anchors are under construction at Seattle’s Todd Pacific Shipyards will be completed in February. The second 10 anchors will be completed in July. All 20 anchors will be placed on the bottom of Hood Canal this summer.
- Pontoons NA, NB, YD, YE and YF are under construction at Concrete Technology in Tacoma. They will be towed to Todd Pacific Shipyards in August for assembly and outfitting.
- Construction on pontoons V, X, ZC and ZD will begin this fall.
- Hood Canal Bridge west-half pontoons are receiving a new leak detection system.
- Transition and truss assembly will begin in Vancouver, Wash.
All 14 new pontoons will be completed inside the Concrete Technology graving dock in four construction cycles, or phases. Another three pontoons, built in the early 1980s, will be retrofitted. The new Hood Canal Bridge east-half will be floated into place during the bridge closure in May-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.
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