Date:
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Contact:
Meagan McFadden, WSDOT Communications, (509) 654-0697
Will Smith, WSDOT Project Engineer, (509) 577-1844
In the early morning of October 31, a truck carrying an over-sized pipe collided with and severely damaged one of only two bridges serving the community of Easton from Interstate 90. Within 24 hours of the collision, WSDOT and the emergency contractor had the damaged span over the eastbound lanes removed and I-90 traffic back to normal.
The emergent situation did not look good for the citizens of Easton; however, WSDOT isn’t wasting any time when it comes to making sure interstate access is restored for the community. WSDOT is charging forward with plans to repair the span within a matter of weeks, and will host an open house to inform the public and share information on how this project will move forward.
When: Thursday, November 15th, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Easton Community School (Multi-purpose room)
1893 Railroad St. Easton, WA 98925
Directions eastbound: Due to the demolition of the overpass span over the eastbound lanes, media coming to the event from Yakima and surrounding areas will have to use exit 70 and then get back onto I-90 heading eastbound. Take exit 71, turn right at the top of the ramp, and turn right onto Railroad Street to get to the Easton Community School.
Who: WSDOT engineers will explain how the bridge will be restored, answer questions from the Easton community and listen to their concerns.
What you will see:
• Several posters displaying pictures of the damaged bridge
• A timeline of events and progress
• What the bridge looks like now that it’s been demolished
• An opportunity to interview WSDOT engineers about the building process
Description of the project: No traffic allowed on the overpass. Concrete barrier and barricades are in place on both sides of the freeway to prevent both vehicle and pedestrian traffic from accessing what’s left of the structure.
WSDOT engineers are looking at survey data from the area and data taken from the damaged-bridge inspection to expedite design of the replacement bridge. WSDOT will meet with citizens of Easton to talk about what happened and what is next. While there is an interchange for Easton residents about a mile away the overpass closure will be an inconvenience until a replacement overpass is constructed.
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