Date:  Thursday, May 27, 2010

Contact: Dustin Terpening, Communications, 360-757-5997 (Burlington)
Chris Damitio, Project Engineer, 360-788-7403 (Bellingham)

GLACIER – Much to the relief of WSDOT maintenance crews and Mount Baker Highway drivers, crews will begin construction to replace the problematic Gallup Creek Bridge in Glacier the first week of June.

The low-clearance bridge is a chokepoint for Gallup Creek and routinely causes the creek to flood across the highway, posing a risk to the highway, drivers and maintenance crews.

The improvement project is funded with $11.4 million from the 2005 gas tax package. WSDOT hired contractor Scarsella Brothers, Inc. of Kent, earlier this year to build the new, taller and longer bridge. Work should be complete by summer 2011.

The first order of work, before demolition of the existing bridge can begin, will be to build a temporary bridge over Gallup Creek. The temporary bridge will take a month to complete and will serve as a detour for drivers around construction of the new, permanent bridge.

For the most part, the bridge building and demolishing will be completed out of the way of drivers and should cause few slowdowns. WSDOT will reduce the speed limit through the work zone from 40 mph to 30 mph while drivers use the temporary detour bridge.

The new bridge will also be better for the environment and will help to improve stream quality and fish habitat. For more details about the project, visit the project website www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR542/GallupCreekBridge/.  

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