Date:  Friday, April 03, 2009

Contact: Denys Tak, WSDOT Kelso Area Engineer, (800) 545-1393 (Kelso) toll free
Annie Linstrom, WSDOT Communications, (360) 905-2079 (Vancouver)

LONGVIEW – The underside of the SR 433, Lewis and Clark Bridge begins receiving a new coat of paint on Tuesday, April 7, as WSDOT’s contractor kicks off the second phase of the Lewis and Clark Bridge Painter project. The contract was awarded in late February to Certified Coatings Company Inc. of Concord, Calif. with a winning bid of $5.1 million.

“Not only are projects like this part of how we preserve the transportation system, they are a critical investment in jobs and the local economy,” said Bart Gernhart, WSDOT Southwest Deputy Regional Administrator. “WSDOT is pleased to begin construction on this project and bring jobs to Longview and Kelso during these tough economic times.”

The first phase of the project, completed in February 2008, cleaned and painted piers in the Columbia River. The second phase cleans and paints the remaining piers in the Columbia River, as well as some of the bridge towers on the Washington side. Phase two is expected to support approximately 50 indirect and direct jobs.

The third and final phase, set to begin as early as 2010, will paint the superstructure of the bridge above the roadway. This $47 million phase of construction will include $12.5 million in funding through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Originally built in 1929, the 80-year-old Lewis and Clark Bridge is a historic landmark and vital transportation connection for Washington and Oregon, carrying an average of 21,000 vehicles per day, 13 percent of which are trucks. Repainting the bridge preserves its structural integrity and protects it from weathering.

For more information about the SR 433 – Lewis and Clark Bridge Painter project, please visit the project Web page at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR433/LewisClarkBridgePainter/. 

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WSDOT keeps people, businesses and the economy moving by operating and improving the state's transportation systems. To learn more about what we're doing, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/news for pictures, videos, news and blogs. Real time traffic information is available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic or by dialing 5-1-1.

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