Latest updates
March 15, 2013 - Crews place final anchors for new SR 520 floating bridge on Lake Washington
Crews reached a major milestone today as they set the 58th of 58 total anchors for the new floating bridge.
A fluke anchor lowered into Lake Washington. Photo taken March 12, 2013
Check out these graphics to learn more about the different anchor types, what they look like, and how they were installed on Lake Washington.
Read more about the milestone on the WSDOT blog, or check out some great photos on Flickr.
Previous updates
Feb. 26, 2013 - WSDOT announces SR 520 pontoon design changes and repairs, results of internal review
Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond announced that WSDOT is making repairs and design modifications to the SR 520 pontoons to ensure a 75-year life of the floating bridge. These changes are the result of findings by an expert review panel. Read our news release for additional information.
WSDOT hosted a briefing to share these findings with local media. You can view all of the materials, posted below:
Watch the entire press conference on YouTube
Feb. 21, 2013 - Unredacted weekly reports and additional correspondence with KOMO posted
On Feb. 7, a King County Superior Court judge ruled in favor of Fisher Broadcasting Seattle/KOMO 4, which filed a complaint against WSDOT regarding a public disclosure request. WSDOT, in consultation with the Attorney General’s Office, previously redacted information from some documents submitted to KOMO in response to a public disclosure request.
In response to the court’s decision, today WSDOT provided unredacted versions of files to KOMO 4. These files are internal management documents used to track project progress and proactively manage potential risk items, and are posted below:
We are posted the files online today because the court determined these documents should be made public, even though WSDOT has not yet completed cost negotiations with our pontoon construction contractor.
Please note that:
- The costs of potential risks identified in these reports reflect only rough estimates.
- Reported risks may or may not be realized and may or may not result in actual additional costs to the SR 520 Program.
- If reported risks are realized, they will be resolved through negotiations with the project contractor and modifications to the design-build contracts, or a dispute adjudication process.
At this time, the SR 520 program includes a $200 million risk reserve and contingency fund that is available to address issues like these. Given that we are currently in negotiations with the pontoon contractor about costs and responsibilities, and there may be opportunities for schedule recovery, among other factors, WSDOT does not yet know what costs may be incurred due to pontoon design and construction issues.
In addition, we are also posted recent correspondence with KOMO (pdf 1.2 mb) about Pontoon Construction Project contract details regarding federal Buy America provisions, contractor insurance requirements and concrete mix information.
Feb. 7, 2013 - King County Superior Court judge rules in favor of KOMO TV
A King County Superior Court judge ruled in favor of Fisher Broadcasting Seattle/KOMO 4, which filed a complaint regarding redacted information included in a WSDOT response to a KOMO public disclosure request.
Read WSDOT's legal brief, declarations and sample redacted document (pdf 8.3 mb)
Read KOMO's court documents (pdf 8.8 mb)
Read WSDOT's statement to members of the Washington State Legislature and Washington Transportation Commission (pdf 16 kb).
Read the court order (pdf 554 kb).
WSDOT is committed to transparency and keeping the public informed about the SR 520 Program. WSDOT redacted parts of 90 documents out of the more than 16,000 documents that we have released to media outlets. The information was redacted because it will serve as the foundation of WSDOT’s position in upcoming negotiations with the contractor regarding first cycle of pontoons built in Aberdeen. We are committed to serving as responsible stewards of public dollars and we hope to minimize the impact this ruling will have on our upcoming negotiations.
The Attorney General’s Office is working with WSDOT to determine whether an appeal will be filed. The judge held the production of records for two weeks while an appeal decision is made.
Jan, 31, 2013 - Read our latest message to the Washington State Legislature and KOMO TV
WSDOT recently received several questions from KOMO TV and conducted a site tour at the Aberdeen casting facility. We want you to have all of the information we've shared with KOMO, so we posted our latest response (pdf 52 kb).
We've also posted our email to members of the Washington State Legislature (pdf 1.13 mb) alerting them to this latest round of correspondence.
Finally, we've posted an overview of the SR 520 budget (pdf 328 kb), including a detailed explanation of SR 520 program funding sources and their uses.
New photos on Flickr: continued progress in Aberdeen
WSDOT crews continue to make progress on the second cycle of pontoons under way in Aberdeen.
Check out our Flickr album to see the latest photos both inside and outside of the latest pontoons.
Jan. 28, 2013 - Second Tacoma pontoon float-out under way
On Jan. 28, 2013, crews began activites to prepare the second float-out of supplemental pontoons built in the Tacoma casting basin.
U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer joined Paula Hammond and other regional leaders to celebrate the continued construction and the positive effect SR 520 work has on Tacoma, Pierce County and Washington state.
Floating out all six pontoons from this cycle will take multiple days. Check out our Pontoon Tracking page for the latest float-out details and how you can pontoon towing progress to Seattle in real-time.
View more photos on our Flickr gallery or read more about the Monday event.
Dec. 21, 2012 - Experts confirm rebar provides pontoon structural capacity
Expert Review Panel adds new members with additional expertise
An analysis using computer modeling, onsite inspections and engineering calculations has determined that rebar in the corner joints in three completed pontoons for the SR 520 bridge provides the required structural capacity. WSDOT also announced the addition of two new members to the Expert Review Panel. More...
Dec. 14, 2012 - Continued progress on SR 520 east approach bridge piers
Quality assurance update: One column to be replaced at contractor direction
Upcoming work on piers and columns for the new State Route 520 bridge will involve excavation in the lakebed inside a protective steel curtain known as a cofferdam. Crews are also removing and replacing one of 10 concrete columns atop a pontoon where the concrete pour failed to meet quality specifications. More...
Dec. 4, 2012 - View photos of underwater diver inspections
As the new SR 520 floating bridge takes shape, crews continue thorough inspections of the concrete pontoons that will serve as the floating foundation. View recent underwater inspection photos on our Flickr set.
Nov. 19, 2012 - Pontoon RFP quality requirements, additional correspondence between WSDOT and KOMO posted
WSDOT recently received questions from KOMO regarding quality assurance and other topics.
View our response to KOMO (pdf 305 kb), which included the pontoon project RFP quality control requirements (pdf 2 mb).
Nov. 15, 2012 - Pontoon Quality Management Plan, additional correspondence between WSDOT and KOMO posted
WSDOT recently received questions from KOMO that cited an anonymous source regarding the quality control process. Questions were raised about such things as rebar being placed without proper clearances, concrete pours done in rain, and other topics.
View our response to KOMO (pdf 47 kb), which included the Quality Management Plan (pdf 10 mb) developed by pontoon contractor Kiewit-General.
Nov. 14, 2012 - Superstructure milestone; media invited to tour pontoons on Lake Washington
We recently completed the first concrete superstructure on top of Pontoon W at the east end of Lake Washington to support the new SR 520 floating bridge deck.
The five columns are approximately 55 feet tall and 4 feet in diameter.
We also invited media to tour the exterior of Pontoon W and the interior of Pontoon V.
More photos are on Flickr.
Nov. 5, 2012 - Project overview video
Streaming video link (WMV)
WSDOT and KOMO email correspondence
KOMO-TV recently interviewed Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond, which you can see below. In addition, we've also provided several detailed responses to questions received from KOMO.
We've posted their questions and our answers so you can have all of the information we've shared with KOMO.
Link: WSDOT and KOMO email exchange (pdf 510 kb)
Pontoon inspection videos
We want you to be able to see all of our inspection videos of the new SR 520 bridge pontoons. This summer, our pontoon inspection crews recorded and cataloged over 45 hours of pontoon inspection footage so we could track issues that needed repairs.
We've posted their footage -- completely unedited -- for you to view. A word of warning: many are huge files (some over 1 GB large!), so they may take a while to download.
Link: Pontoon inspection videos page
Paula Hammond and KOMO TV - the full 25-minute interview
Streaming video link (WMV)
Sept. 26, 2012
Major work has been completed for the SR 520 Pontoon Construction Project. Crews built a massive pontoon construction facility in Aberdeen, and constructed, inspected, repaired and floated out the first six pontoons for the new SR 520 floating bridge.
WSDOT is proud of the pontoon construction work completed to date. These are the largest pontoons the agency has ever built and we have complete confidence they will meet the 75-year design life called for in the Pontoon Construction Project design-build contract.
We've developed the below timeline to help clarify how pontoons built in Aberdeen have been constructed, inspected, repaired, and towed to Lake Washington.
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Pontoon construction, inspection and repairs timeline
September 2012
Construction continues on cycle 2 pontoons. View a video update about this work from WSDOT project managers, as well as photos from the Aberdeen construction site on our Flickr page.
Crews are implementing recommendations from the pontoon peer review panel
August 2012
On Aug. 22, inspections found ballast water leaking between two cells in Pontoon V. This leak was repaired almost immediately.
View a PDF graphic (pdf 660 kb) for more information.
Inspections also found moisture on the inside of an end wall in Pontoon W. WSDOT and the contractor are continuing to look into the cause of this moisture, and are developing repair plans as necessary to meet contract requirements.
A YouTube video from inside the pontoon shows these issues in full detail.
On Aug. 17, the pontoon expert review panel submitted its report to WSDOT. The report includes a review of repairs made on cycle 1 pontoons and findings that address the causes of, and recommendations to correct, two key issues: pontoon spalling and cracking. You can read the panel's report (pdf 74 kb) and WSDOT's response (pdf 72 kb).
The panel indentified three key factors of spalling and cracking:
1. The placement and location of post-tensioning ducts contributed to concrete spalling.
2. Resistance to post-tensioning from interior precast walls caused end walls to crack.
3. Finally, all quality assurance practices need to be fully implemented to monitor a variety of concrete properties, including: concrete shrinkage, curing and thermal controls, and water/cement ratios, as well as length of wall pours.
July 2012
All repairs complete and endorsed by the pontoon peer review panel.
On July 30, all six Cycle 1 pontoons were floated out of the casting basin.
Watch our time-lapse YouTube video.
June 2012
WSDOT convened a panel of experts to review WSDOT's repairs, analyze the cause of pontoon cracking, and make recommendations for future pontoon construction cycles.
Watch WSDOT engineer Mike Cotten explain WSDOT's pontoon inspection and repair process.
May 2012
Crews found cracking and spalling after completing post-tensioning on a longitudinal pontoon. At that time we began repairs on the affected pontoon and pre-emptive modifications on the other longitudinal pontoons.
View a PDF graphic (809 kb) with more information.
September 2011-May 2012
Major construction under way on the first cycle of SR 520 bridge pontoons.
Cycle 1 included six total pontoons:
- Three longitudinal pontoons (360 ft. x 75 ft. x 29 ft.)
- One cross pontoon (270 ft. x 75 ft. x 33 ft.)
- Two supplemental stability pontoons (98 ft. x 60 ft. x 28 ft.)
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Aug. 28, 2012 - Pontoon Peer Review Panel Update
In May 2012, cracked concrete and spalling were discovered in one of the Aberdeen pontoons. In response, WSDOT convened a panel of experts to investigate the first cycle of Aberdeen pontoons. The panel has completed its work and WSDOT has reviewed its recommendations.
Aug. 27, 2012 - Pontoon Inspection Update
As pontoons arrive on Lake Washington, we continue to inspect them prior to assembly of the new floating bridge so they will support the new SR 520 floating bridge for 75 years or longer. This video inside a pontoon on Lake Washington for the new SR 520 floating bridge shows an internal leak that has since been repaired. The video may be used by some to say the pontoons are leaking. We want you to have the full story.
This leak is not water from Lake Washington. Instead, it involves water that we added to the inside of the pontoons as temporary ballast to lower them to the height of the new bridge. In this one location shown in the video, there was a small hole between separate, water tight compartments inside the pontoon. The hole was repaired as part of the inspection process.
Inspectors also noted condensation on the walls of the pontoons where repairs were made in Aberdeen. We are continuing to work with the contractor to make the necessary and minor repairs on the pontoons to meet our high safety standards. WSDOT is continuing its due diligence to ensure that the pontoons meet the specifications of the contract. WSDOT is committed to building a new SR 520 floating bridge that is safe for drivers.
Previous construction updates:
- Experts confirm rebar provides pontoon structural capacity, Dec. 21, 2012
- Continued progress on SR 520 east approach bridge piers, Dec. 14, 2012
- Quality assurance program working as planned on pontoon project, Nov. 21, 2012
- Major work continues on new SR 520 floating bridge, Nov. 14, 2012
- SR 520 bridge pontoon videos, interviews and correspondence posted online, Nov. 9, 2012
- WSDOT makes changes to improve oversight of pontoon construction, Oct. 25, 2012
- More SR 520 bridge pontoons under construction in Aberdeen, Sept. 27, 2012
- First new SR 520 bridge pontoon en route to Ballard locks, Aug. 8, 2012
- Pontoons floated out of Aberdeen casting basin on July 30, 2012.
- First pontoon repairs were found to be successful on June 26, 2012, but additional work is needed.
- Damage was discovered to new pontoons in May, 2012: 4-6 weeks of repair work is expected.
- Installation of the gate for the pontoon casting basin was completed Nov. 4, 2011.
- Construction of the first interior walls for the SR 520 pontoons started Sept. 23, 2011.
- Excavated dirt from casting basin helps city of Hoquiam project. July 15, 2011.
- First casting basin pour completed in Aberdeen on July 8, 2011.
- Excavation work on the pontoon casting basin started May 2, 2011.
- Pile driving for the pontoon casting basin started the week of Feb. 28-March 4, 2011.
Have additional questions? Let us knowEmail:
SR520Bridge@wsdot.wa.govPhone: 206-770-3500