Date:  Thursday, June 23, 2011

Contact:
Jeff Cook, Project Engineer, 360-874-3010 (Port Orchard)
Joe Irwin, Communications, 360-357-2703 (Tumwater)

BREMERTON – Rusted. Deteriorated. Obsolete. These days, the 81-year-old Manette Bridge sounds more like a junkyard jalopy than a functioning gateway between communities. But the poorly aging bridge’s days are numbered.

In one month, on July 24, the old bridge closes to motorists forever. Then the push begins to finish the new bridge.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and contractor Manson-Mowat are on schedule to open the new bridge across the Port Washington Narrows this November, and need to close the existing structure for four months to complete this construction.

“We know the four-month closure won’t be easy for the communities, but the need for this replacement and the timeliness of this project really couldn’t be more apparent,” said Jeff Cook, project engineer, referring to a large crack discovered in the bridge deck and repaired earlier this month. “We’ve been planning this for years, working with the communities, and getting the word out to ensure the closure goes well for travelers and businesses.”

When the bridge closes, motorists will detour to the Warren Avenue Bridge, which is located about one mile away. Pedestrians and bicyclists will still be able to use the old Manette Bridge with the exception of two, two-week closures. During the closures, crews will complete concrete placement work, make connections between land-based approaches and the new bridge, and demolish sections of the existing bridge.

Local travelers can expect to see more congestion during the four-month closure as the majority of the 12,000 drivers who use the Manette Bridge daily join the 40,000 daily drivers on the Warren Avenue Bridge. Kitsap Transit routes 21, 25 and 29, which currently use the Manette Bridge, will be altered during the closure and a Manette Closure Shuttle will also be offered.

The $60 million Manette Bridge Project removes the old bridge and replaces it with a new structure that features a 10-foot-wide walking path, two 5-foot-wide shoulders, two 11-foot-wide lanes and a new roundabout that will improve safety and traffic flows. For more information, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr303/manettebridgereplacement.

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