Date:  Friday, April 23, 2010

Contact:
Steve Roark, Regional Administrator for Construction, 360-357-2607
Joe Irwin, WSDOT Communications, 360-357-2703

TACOMA – Painting work continues this month as crews from Tacoma Narrows Constructors (TNC) address minor touch-up issues on the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

The work, which started in October 2009 and was suspended due to seasonal weather, is not expected to disrupt eastbound traffic.

The weather-dependent work is scheduled to conclude in late-June and is covered under the bridge’s warranty, which extends through May 2011 for paint-related repairs.

Crews are removing paint bubbles from the main cables, which resulted from “off-gassing” within the cable system. Once repaired, the bubbles will dissipate over time.

TNC is also working to drain water that is trapped within the paint on some of the bridge’s suspender cables. To accomplish this, several inches of the paint will be removed and replaced on the bottom of the cables while the uppermost sections will be resealed and repainted to ensure water doesn’t enter the system.

“Minor repairs are nothing out of the ordinary,” said Steve Roark, Assistant Region Administrator for Construction, who said tiny, pinhole-sized openings allowed water to seep into the cables. “The paint system we’re using is robust and an industry standard because of its ability to encapsulate and protect bridge components.”

The paint shrinks and swells to prevent cracking and, once the minor issues are fixed, is expected to protect the Tacoma Narrows Bridge for the next 30 years.

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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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