Date:  Friday, January 02, 2009

Contact: Dustin Terpening, WSDOT Communications, 360-757-5997 (Burlington)
Janice Marlega, Project Engineer, 360-757-5856 (Burlington)

BURLINGTON – WSDOT is one step closer to starting repairs on the damaged I-5 Chuckanut Drive overpass in Burlington at exit 231. Vetch Construction of Camano Island was awarded the emergency repair contract on Dec. 18 and will start construction by the end of January.

In an effort to get the overpass repaired quickly, the contract specifies that work can start Jan. 26 and needs to be complete by March 30, 2009.

Crews will rebuild the eastern half of the bridge, which spans northbound I-5. Chuckanut Drive will remain closed at the I-5 interchange during much of the construction. Northbound I-5 will close for up to a total of five nights during demolition and construction. Detour routes will be posted for both closures.

The bridge was damaged when an excavator being hauled by a tractor-trailer crashed into the overpass on July 10, 2008. It severely damaged three of the six support beams, knocking off concrete and breaking 22 steel cables. Each support beam houses 20 steel cables. The bridge was temporarily repaired and reopened shortly after.

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

For more details about the $1 million project, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I5/SR11ChuckanutBridgeRepair/.

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