Date:  Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Contact: Joe Irwin, WSDOT Communications, 360-507-6521
             Jamie Swift, WSDOT Communications, 360-507-4261

Draw span installed and east truss set May 18 during milestone packed day

SHINE – Foggy weather may have obscured views of the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge construction Monday, May 18, but it didn’t cloud the significance of the day’s accomplishments.

WSDOT reached two milestones within hours of one another, floating in the draw span pontoons by 7 a.m. and setting the east truss about noon. The construction completes placement of major bridge components for the project.

“This was a banner day for the Hood Canal Bridge Project,” said Dave Ziegler, principal engineer. “The new east half of the bridge is really starting to take shape.”

After departing from Seattle Sunday morning, the 596-foot-long draw span assembly arrived on site and was moved into place. It is scheduled to be joined with pontoon RST this week, completing the placement of the three new east-half pontoon sections.

Three derrick barges – including the largest one on the West Coast – lifted the 280-foot-long, 70-foot-wide, 40-foot-tall truss off a nearby barge and moved it into place. Setting the massive truss, which tips the scales at 1.6 million pounds, took about three hours to complete.

“We’ve placed the three pontoon sections and the east and west trusses,” Ziegler said. “People who are looking at the east half of the bridge now are almost seeing it in its completed form, but it’s very important that everyone understands that there is still a great deal of work yet to come.

Crews still have complex pontoon joint operations ahead, which include work that is dependent on having winds less than 15 miles per hour. WSDOT also must set drop-in spans and connect them to the pontoons, and post-tension the pontoons – pulling them together – to stabilize and strengthen the east half as a whole.

The six-week closure will be challenging for travelers. WSDOT encourages people to review their transportation options to determine the best route. “Get around” options include crossing the canal on a water shuttle; free transit-connecting-bus services and park and ride lots; taking the Port Townsend/Edmonds evening ferry or the Port Townsend/Keystone ferry; flying from Port Angeles to Seattle; driving around on alternate routes; or utilizing private boat services. Get more information about transportation options, including water shuttle and transit schedules, at http://www.hoodcanalbridge.com/ or by calling 1-877-595-4222.

See the latest project photos at Flickr or read about construction updates on the Hood Canal Bridge blog. The Hood Canal Bridge retrofit and replacement – which is now 93 percent complete – will improve the existing east half, making it wider, safer and more reliable.

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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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