Date:
Monday, September 17, 2007
Contact:
Emily Fishkin, Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program, 206-267-6821, (cell) 206-437-5061
Kristy Laing, Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program, 206-382-6361, (cell) 206-300-4312
SEATTLE – The first of six projects to repair or replace more than half of the deteriorating Alaskan Way Viaduct will start next month. C.A. Carey Corporation today was awarded the contract to strengthen the viaduct between Columbia Street and Yesler Way where the structure has settled approximately five inches since the 2001 Nisqually earthquake. C.A. Carey submitted the lowest bid of $3.02 million. Work will begin in mid-October. No work will take place between Nov. 22 and Jan. 1, in order to accommodate Seattle’s holiday construction moratorium.
“We look forward to working with C.A. Carey, and we are pleased the company can help us deliver this project and stop further settlement of the viaduct,” said Matt Preedy, deputy director for the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program. C.A. Carey Corporation also exceeded the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise participation goal that was set for the project.
The foundation work is expected to take six months to complete. No viaduct lane closures will be required during the project. Repairs involve strengthening the existing structural footings by drilling a series of steel rods, called micropiles, into the stable ground that lies beneath the fill soil upon which the viaduct rests. These micropiles are each able to carry a 95-ton load and will make a wider and stronger column foundation, preventing further settlement in this area.
“These repairs are part of our overall plan to keep drivers safe on the viaduct, and to take down or repair more than half of the structure by 2012,” said Ron Paananen, WSDOT program director.
This work is the first of six viaduct safety improvements previously announced by Gov. Chris Gregoire, Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and King County Executive Ron Sims. The other improvements include:
- Making fire and life safety improvements to the Battery Street Tunnel
- Repairing the viaduct between Lenora and Battery streets
- Building a new SR 99 near the sports stadiums and adding access for south and West Seattle residents
- Making investments in transit and traffic improvements that will keep people and goods moving during construction.
WSDOT crews conduct visual inspections every three months to monitor the viaduct’s condition. WSDOT completely closes the viaduct for inspections and repairs every six months, with the next one scheduled for the weekend of October 13-14.
More information, including a graphic illustration of the repair work, is available online at www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/viaduct.
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