Date:
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Contact:
Claudia Cornish, Tacoma Narrows Bridge Communications Manager, (253) 534-4646
GIG HARBOR – The second of two weekends of intensive paving is scheduled to begin this Thursday as design-builder Tacoma Narrows Constructors grinds and paves two more lanes of the 1950 Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Motorists are advised to expect traffic congestion and delays, especially on Saturday, August 4. Please note in the event of inclement weather, the work will be postponed.
Thursday, August 2
11 p.m. – Reduce westbound SR 16 to one lane (on left) across old bridge.
Friday, August 3
7 a.m. – Open a closed lane, providing two westbound lanes for Friday (the open lanes will be on the left side of the bridge)
3 p.m. – Open a closed lane, providing three westbound lanes for Friday evening commute.
7 p.m. – Reduce westbound SR 16 to two lanes across old bridge
11 p.m. – Reduce westbound SR 16 to one lane across old bridge through Friday night.
Saturday, August 4
10 a.m. – Open one closed lane, providing two westbound SR 16 lanes across old bridge.
11 p.m. – Reduce westbound SR 16 to one lane across old bridge through Sunday morning.
Sunday, August 5
After noon on Sunday, the westbound bridge will open to either two or three lanes depending on construction progress.
Monday, August 6
7 p.m. – Reduce westbound SR 16 to two lanes across the old bridge
11 p.m. – Reduce westbound SR 16 to one lane across the old bridge all night.
Tuesday, August 7
7 a.m. - Open the westbound bridge to three lanes of traffic. The open lanes will be shifted to the north (right) side of the bridge.
Last weekend’s closures caused traffic delays and headaches for SR 16 commuters, and prompted questions about why this work is allowed to occur during daytime hours. WSDOT and TNC chose to work over the two weekends because in the long run, fewer concentrated weekends of traffic disruptions are better for the public. The accelerated weekend schedule eliminates many nights of restricted lanes over the westbound bridge and reduces night construction noise for local residents.
The resurfacing work is included in the overall scope of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge project. Once the repaving work is done, the 1950 bridge will open to three westbound lanes. The fourth lane will remain closed around the clock so crews can begin the next phase of work, which is to remove some of the bridge’s guardrail and replace it with cast-in-place concrete jersey barrier. Work on the 1950 bridge will continue for up to eight months.
For more information, please visit tacomanarrowsbridge.com or www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr16narrowsbridge/
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