Date:  Tuesday, July 06, 2010

Contact: Denys Tak, WSDOT Kelso Area Engineer, (800) 545-1393 (Kelso) toll free
Heidi Sause, WSDOT Communications, (360) 905-2057 (Vancouver)

Recovery Act funds help WSDOT deliver third and final phase of construction

LONGVIEW – WSDOT and Odyssey/Geronimo JV of Houston, Penn. began the third and final phase of painting the 81-year-old SR 433 Lewis and Clark Bridge in Longview Wednesday, June 30. This $47 million project paints the steel above the roadway and applies a protective coating to help prevent future corrosion.

WSDOT added $12.3 million in Recovery Act funds to the project, which allowed the project to move off of the drawing board and into the lineup for construction. With Recovery Act funds and the competitive bid climate, WSDOT and ODOT were able to fully fund this final phase of the painting project. The project cost is split evenly between Washington and Oregon, as are all interstate bridge projects over the Columbia River.

“The 2009 Recovery and Reinvestment Act is still helping WSDOT deliver projects and get people back to work more than a year after it was signed into law,” said WSDOT Southwest Acting Region Administrator Bart Gernhart. “Thanks to these funds and our partnership with ODOT, we are now able to finish restoring and preserving the Lewis and Clark Bridge for the thousands of drivers that rely on it every day.”

Contractor crews will paint the superstructure of the bridge in sections, beginning with the steel framework supporting the roadway between the bridge piers. In the initial two months of construction, work will take place below the roadway with minimal impacts to drivers. In late August or early September, crews will begin painting the superstructure above the roadway and motorists will encounter narrowed lanes, night time single-lane closures and delays of up to 20 minutes.

No oversized loads will be allowed on the bridge when lanes are narrowed during daytime work. Alternate routes for oversized loads include the US 101 Astoria-Megler Bridge or the I-5 Interstate Bridge between Vancouver and Portland.

The SR 433 Lewis and Clark Bridge is a historic landmark and essential link for Washington and Oregon commuters and trucking commerce. The bridge carries an average of 21,000 vehicles per day, 13 percent of which are freight. This project delivers more than a fresh coat of paint; it preserves and restores the structural integrity of the bridge, allowing it to continue handling commuter and heavy freight traffic for years to come.

For more project information, please visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/SR433/LewisClarkBridgePainter/.

Washington State is administering the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act investments with an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability. Gov. Gregoire created a Web site, www.recovery.wa.gov/, so every Washingtonian can see where tax dollars are going and hold government accountable for the results.

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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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