Date:  Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Contact:
Contact: Becky Hixson, WSDOT Communications, 360-870-8130

SHINE – The Washington State Department of Transportation proudly announces the reopening of the SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge to vehicle traffic tonight, June 3, culminating the replacement of the bridge’s east half and nearly six years of construction work on the $500 million project.

The first car crossed the new SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge east-half at  10:19 p.m. today after the project contractor, Kiewit General, and the WSDOT project team completed 20 test openings of the floating bridge’s center draw span.

“This is a huge accomplishment for our project team and Kiewit-General, who overcame some tremendous engineering challenges to reopen this vital link to the Olympic Peninsula,” said Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation Secretary.

An official ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate this major milestone will be held at Salsbury Point County Park, near SR 104 just off SR 3, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 6, followed by an Olympic Peninsula-wide Bridge Opening Bash hosted in Port Townsend from noon until 8 p.m.

The day will celebrate both the accomplishment of building this world-class bridge and the role it plays in the economic and social success of the region. Workers and drivers alike will be celebrated for their contribution to the project’s success and a variety of events and venues will showcase the unique food, maritime flavor, arts and music and outdoor activities that are easily reached by crossing Hood Canal Bridge to experience life on the other side.

Now that the bridge is open, WSDOT will continue to provide modified transportation services Thursday and Friday to help travelers return to their normal commute. The Port Townsend to Edmonds car ferry service ends after the Wednesday night run. Drivers are encouraged to plan ahead by visiting www.HoodCanalBridge.com or by calling 1-877-595-4222.

Barges will still be working near the bridge, installing new anchor cables, until the end of September. In addition, west-half electrical and mechanical upgrades will occur mainly inside the pontoon cells but also require limited night time closures to facilitate new equipment testing.

The SR 104 Hood Canal Bridge east-half replacement project began in August 2003. Just weeks after breaking ground on the project, which included the construction of a large pontoon construction facility in Port Angeles, contractors revealed what later was determined to be an ancient Native American village site, Tse-whit-zen. The find resulted in nearly two years of delay for the project that also widened the bridge’s west half and replaced the east and west approach spans. The multi-week closure of the bridge that began May 1 allowed the contractor to remove the nearly 50-year-old east-half and install the new east-half pontoon sections and new east and west trusses.

The Hood Canal Bridge is the longest floating bridge over saltwater in the world. WSDOT and Kiewit-General lead the world in floating bridge technology. After extensive review of lessons learned, this project has contributed to improved construction, business and communication practices, including the state’s approaches interaction with tribal governments and communities on tribal and cultural resources research and local history on capital construction projects.

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 will improve the existing east half, making it wider, safer and more reliable.

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