Date:
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Contact:
Sylvia Ross, WSDOT Communications, (360) 905-2058
Joye Redfield-Wilder, Department of Ecology (509) 575-2610
Mowat Construction Company, (425) 398-0205
Elaine Fisher, Department of Labor and Industries, (360) 902-5413
GOLDENDALE – Clean up work and extraction of submerged equipment near the US 97 Biggs Bridge has begun this morning, announces the Washington State Department of Transportation. The construction project remains on hold until the investigation of the accident by the Department of Labor and Industries concludes.
Divers began their work this morning to check for any leaks on the equipment and to aid in appropriately extracting the excavator equipment out of the Columbia River, after it fell off the Biggs Bridge yesterday during deck replacement construction.
The retrieval of the excavator will take place this afternoon after a barge is put in place for the extraction process.
“Our hope is to have the excavator out of the river by the end of the day,” said Chris Tams, WSDOT’s Project Engineer for the US 97 Biggs Bridge deck replacement project.
For information regarding the US 97 Biggs Rapids-Sam Hill Bridge Deck Replacement project, please visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/US97/BiggsBridge/.
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