2007
Column cages for the Yakima Avenue bridge are now in place. Each of the two new bridges will supported in the center by four columns.
The first concrete column is complete. A crane is used to lift the form off the finished column.
A 300-ton hydraulic crane lifts steel girders into place for the new Yakima Ave overpass. Each bridge will be built with 12 girders. Individual girders weigh as much as 75 tons and are as long as 159 feet. Watch time-lapse video of girder-setting.
Crews weave 4-by-6 carrier beams and stringers across the bridge girders before laying out the plywood sheets that serve as the floor for the concrete deck.
Installing the green epoxy-coated re-bar is one of the final steps before the decks are paved.
On Nov. 20, 2007, crews began paving the deck of the new Yakima Avenue overpass. The yellow machine in the background is a Bidwell finisher, which is used to create a smooth, consistent surface.
May 2007
Crews (May 14) are building the forms for the abutment wall for the new Yakima Avenue bridge.
May 2007
Cews pour the concrete footing for the new Yakima Avenue Bridge (May 7, 2007).
Aerial Photos/Southbound Shift in Place April 2007
With the northbound shift in place, crews prepare for the southbound shift.
Demolition Photos, February/March 2007
Crews water down the demolition area to control dust.
A temporary column, or "bent," provides support while an excavator crunches through the bridge decks and rips through the rebar.
The Tacoma Avenue and Delin Street bridges are ready for the next phase of demolition, which shifts southbound traffic into the regular northbound lanes.
On Feb. 7, 2007, crews began the second stage of demolition of the bridges over I-5. Here, Jeff Johnson uses an excavator with a hydraulic breaker to pound away at the Tacoma Avenue Bridge.
Construction Photos, December 2006
The new northbound collector-distributor lanes are nearing completion. Starting Jan. 20, these lanes will serve as the northbound detour during bridge-demolition work scheduled through fall 2007.
Construction Photos, October 2006
Crews continue to spread layers of dirt to elevate the ground between I-5 and South Tacoma Way. Workers are laying the groundwork for revised I-5 connections to a new Nalley Valley viaduct.
Crews pave the new collector-distributor lanes that will eliminate the weaving traffic on northbound I-5 between the SR 16 curve and I-705.
Construction Photos, August - September 2006
Workers construct the foundation for the M Street bridge deck section of the new collector-distributor lanes that will ease congestion through downtown Tacoma.
This 10-foot-diameter drainage structure was installed between the northbound I-5 lanes and the off-ramp to SR 705/SR 7. A crane lifted the 22, 20-foot-long sections into place.
Construction Photos March 2006
The road northbound I-5 travelers will use to reach westbound State Route 16 takes shape in the photo above. Crews are currently using the road to access work sites farther along I-5. Also pictured is a rebar cage crews will use for bridge shafts on the new M Street overpass.
Above, work is progressing on the new ramp from northbound I-5 to I-705. Once the ramp is open to traffic, it separates traffic heading to I-705/downtown Tacoma from traffic merging on northbound I-5 from State Route 16. The large piece of machinery has begun to excavate for placement of the bridge supports.
A worker from the contractor working on I-5 in the Tacoma area checks a bridge support reinforcement for the bridge over M street that will handle I-5 northbound traffic exiting to I-705.
When excavating for new highway, crews many times build retaining walls. This wall is a soldier pile wall characterized by vertical beams connected by wooden supports. The wall is currently under construction on the east side of I-5 in the Tacoma Mall area.
Along the portion of the I-5 project in Tacoma pictured above, crews complete a different type of retaining wall. This soil nail wall uses soil reinforced with soil nails, which are circled above. When the wall is complete, these nails will not be visible.
Above, another photo of a soil nail wall with the nails highlighted. This type of retaining wall is being built along the east side of I-5 near Tacoma Mall.