Date:  Friday, October 21, 2011

Contact: Bronlea Mishler, Communications, 206-440-4696 (Shoreline)
Chad Brown, Project Engineer, 425-225-8725 (Everett)

EVERETT – The nighttime closures are finished – for good. That’s likely welcome news for drivers who spent the summer adjusting their schedules and detouring around the westbound US 2 trestle during weeknight closures.

Construction to repair more than 844 damaged girders that support the westbound lanes of the US 2 trestle wrapped up as planned this month after four and a half months of lane and ramp closures. Crews were able to complete the work with less than half the planned closures. The schedule called for up to 65 nights of closures, but work was completed in only 25 nights.

“Construction on this project went smoothly, and we were able to get all the work done as planned, as well as some additional repair work,” said project engineer Chad Brown. “This work will help make the trestle stronger and extend its useful life.”

Drivers won’t notice any visible difference to the roadway, as the majority of the work was done underneath the trestle. Crews chipped away damaged concrete from the bridge girders, treated the exposed steel in the girders to remove and prevent rust, and then resealed the girders with new mortar. A special carbon fiber mesh was applied to the girders to provide extra strength.

This construction project is one of several planned for US 2 in Snohomish County in the next year. This winter, crews will begin building a roundabout at Rice Road in Sultan to improve traffic flow and safety. Next summer, construction will begin on a new overcrossing from Bickford Avenue to westbound US 2.

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