Date:  Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Contact: Dustin Terpening, WSDOT Communications, 360-661-7903 (Burlington)

BURLINGTON – Bridge crews finished temporary repairs on the damaged Chuckanut Drive overpass (exit 231) in Burlington two nights earlier than expected. Both lanes of Chuckanut Drive over I-5 will reopen this afternoon. Crews are in the process of picking up cones and changing weight restriction signs.

The bridge is safe for drivers. Vehicles weighing more than 80,000 pounds (40 tons) are prohibited from the overpass until permanent repairs to the overpass can be made sometime in 2009.

WSDOT engineers have determined that three damaged support beams on the overpass will have to be replaced. The entire east side of the overpass will probably have to be torn down and replaced. This work won't start until sometime in 2009. Engineers still need to research and design the bridge repairs. Once started, the work will probably four to five months to complete and will require closures on I-5 and Chuckanut Drive.

Initial cost estimates are in the million-plus range. WSDOT will do everything possible to recoup the costs for repairs from the responsible party.

A tractor-trailer towing an excavator crashed into the overpass Thursday afternoon, July 10, severely damaging three of the six support beams, knocking off concrete and breaking 22 steel cables. Each support beam houses 20 steel cables.

View, comment or download pictures of the damage at http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157606094350288/.  

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