Date:  Wednesday, March 09, 2011

Contact: Dustin Terpening, WSDOT Communications, 360-757-5997 (Burlington)

One lane closed and 10-minute delays for drivers

DECEPTION PASS – Though the Deception Pass bridges boast some of the most majestic views in the state, crews won’t be admiring the views next week when they’re hanging off the sides of the 180-foot-tall bridges.

Using under-bridge-inspection trucks, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) bridge engineers will extend a truck-mounted, steel arm and bucket over the railing and under the bridges to carry inspectors close to seldom seen parts of the bridge for thorough examination.

See some pictures of what it looks like when crews inspect the Deception Pass bridges: http://flic.kr/p/69JksN.  

Bridge crews will close one lane across the bridges from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., March 14 through March 17. Flaggers will direct traffic through the work zone, but travelers and commuters should expect delays of up to 10 minutes.

WSDOT inspects the Deception Pass and Canoe Pass bridges every two years. They were last inspected in April 2009.

Crews aggressively inspect and maintain these structures to keep the highway safe and this critical transportation link open. Routine maintenance and inspections mean that the Deception Pass bridges will continue to be safe now and into the future.

For more information about bridge inspections, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/Bridge/Reporting/Inspection.htm.  

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