Date:  Friday, July 15, 2011

Contact:
Dave Ziegler, WSDOT Project Engineer, 360-500-4421 (Aberdeen)
Joe Irwin, WSDOT Communications, 360-357-2703 (Tumwater)

City to fill 20-acre lagoon site for future economic development

ABERDEEN – The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and Kiewit-General (K-G) have the dirt on the city of Hoquiam. And Hoquiam couldn’t be happier about it.

Earlier this week, trucks from the State Route 520 Pontoon Construction Project began hauling about 30,000 cubic yards of fill material from the pontoon construction site to the former Hoquiam sewage lagoon. The dirt will be used to fill and level the 20-acre lagoon site and allow the city to pursue long-standing economic development plans.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for Hoquiam and one we have been planning for since 2007, when we first became involved in the 520 site selection process,” said Brian Shay, Hoquiam city administrator. “The area we are filling will create prime waterfront industrial land for economic development or possibly future construction of new wastewater facilities.”

The material is being excavated as WSDOT and K-G work to build a casting basin to construct 33 massive pontoons for a new SR 520 floating bridge. In total, more than 260,000 cubic yards of material are being removed to create the casting basin. K-G is using 18 dump trucks to bring the fill dirt to the Hoquiam lagoon and the work is expected to take about 10 days to complete.

The Hoquiam location was perfect for the fill because it was nearby and met the SR 520 project’s strict environmental guidelines, said Stuart Moore, K-G pontoon basin manager.

“This is possible primarily because Hoquiam was diligent in getting the necessary permits,” Moore said. “We’re extremely pleased that we were able to work something out, and help the city get the material needed to further its plans for future economic development. It also works very well for the project in that it allows us to transport this fill to a location nearby, reducing costs and helping keep us on schedule.”

Pontoon construction starts later this summer as crews begin to build smaller interior walls alongside the casting basin. The first of six cycles is scheduled to be completed in 2012. A pontoon cycle will be completed approximately once every five months, and all pontoons are scheduled to be completed by mid-2014.

Work on the casting basin facility, which includes a concrete batch plant and on-site water treatment, started in February and is scheduled to conclude in October. Construction in Aberdeen is part of a $367 million project that will deliver the casting basin facility and the new SR 520 pontoons.

For more information about the SR 520 Pontoon Construction Project and to view project photos and the project webcam, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR520/Pontoons.

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