Date:  Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Contact:
Suanne Pelley, WSDOT Communications, 206-770-3578, 206-437-5717 (cell)
Greg Phipps, WSDOT Communications, 206-464-1265, 206-949-8078 (cell)

Pontoons to be used for SR 520 bridge replacement

SEATTLE – WSDOT wants to hear what the public thinks about potential State Route 520 bridge pontoon construction sites in Grays Harbor County. Comments from citizens could help WSDOT narrow the list of sites from three to two.

WSDOT is proposing to study the Anderson & Middleton site in Hoquiam and the Aberdeen Log Yard site and publish a draft environmental impact statement later this year. These two sites are more environmentally suited for pontoon construction than the previously considered Port of Grays Harbor IDD #1 site.

“Pursuing these two sites can help us stay within our budget and keep the project on schedule,” SR 520 Program Director Julie Meredith said.

Comments will be accepted from March 12 through April 11.

Comments can be sent by e-mail to pontoons@wsdot.wa.gov,
by phone at 1-888-520-NEWS (6397) or by mail to:

Pontoon Construction Project
Attn: Susan Haupt
600 Stewart Street, Suite 520
Seattle, WA 98101

Comment forms are also available at these Grays Harbor locations:

Aberdeen City Hall, 200 East Market Street, Aberdeen
Aberdeen Timberland Library, 121 East Market Street, Aberdeen
Hoquiam City Hall, 609 Eighth Street, Hoquiam
Hoquiam Timberland Library, 420 Seventh Street, Hoquiam
Grays Harbor County Administration Building, 100 West Broadway, Montesano

“We have been thrilled with the enthusiastic response from Grays Harbor citizens,” Meredith said. “We look forward to working with this community as we select a site for pontoon construction and bring hundreds of jobs to Grays Harbor.”

WSDOT is building pontoons that could be used in the case of catastrophic failure of the SR 520 floating bridge or as part of the planned replacement of the bridge. Construction of the new pontoon facility in Grays Harbor, along with pontoon construction at an existing facility in Tacoma, is scheduled to begin in 2010. Pontoon construction at the new Grays Harbor facility will begin in 2012.

Written materials can be provided in alternate formats: large print, Braille, cassette tape, or on computer disk for people with disabilities by contacting WSDOT’s Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) at 360-705-7097. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may call the Washington State Telecommunications Relay Service or Tele-Braille at 7-1-1, Voice 1-800-833-6384, and ask to be connected to Shawn Murinko in the OEO office.

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