Date:
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Contact:
Laura Johnson, WSDOT Communications, (206) 716-1165 (Seattle)
While many people worried about losing an hour of sleep as daylight-saving time began over the weekend, crews working on the South Everett Freeway Station worried about losing an hour of working time during a total closure of northbound I-5 last Saturday.
Atkinson Construction crews working for WSDOT closed the last lane of I-5 at midnight and immediately began setting the first of eight girders. The total closure was required to keep drivers safe, as each girder weighs between 50,400 and 75,200 pounds and ranges in length from 60 to almost 90 feet.
Despite the massive undertaking, crews finished setting eight girders in only six hours.
"The whole process went very smooth," said Project Engineer Amir Ahmadi. "It was a very successful operation."
Over the next few months, crews will focus on building the bridge deck for the east half of the bridge over the northbound lanes. Once that is complete, they will set girders for the west side of the bridge, which will require a total closure of southbound I-5.
This work is part of the Sound Transit-funded I-5 South Everett Freeway Station Project. WSDOT and Sound Transit have partnered with the city of Everett to remove and replace the 112th Street SE bridges over I-5 with new, wider bridges as part of this project. The project, scheduled for completion in late 2008, will allow buses, carpools and vanpools to go directly from the I-5 HOV lanes to a new 400-stall park-and-ride lot in the I-5 median at 112th Street SE. A new access road from 112th Street SE will allow single-occupant vehicles to reach the park-and-ride.
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