PORT ANGELES — Completion of the two Eighth Street bridges is dependent on the weather, the Exeltech construction manager said.

Long Painting of Kent, which is sub-contracted by the construction company Parsons RCI of Sumner, must have good enough conditions to finish applying a sealer to the concrete bridges.

Because of unfit weather conditions, Ingo Goller, Exeltech construction manager, couldn’t say on Thursday when the bridges will open to vehicles and pedestrians.

The city of Port Angeles hired Exeltech to manage the project.

The project, which began in June 2007, is funded by $21.6 million in state Department of Transportation grants and $3 million in city funds.

It was initially set to be complete in November.

Glenn Cutler, city public works director, has said that Parsons was given a 45-working-day contract extension for a redesign of a foundation abutment on the west side of the Tumwater Creek bridge due to what he referred to as “poor soil.”

The extension cost the city $90,000, he said, and other delays have resulted from poor weather.

When asked how much longer construction will last, Goller could only refer to the 16 days Parsons has left in its contracted working days.

If company employees are able to work every weekday, that would put completion of the project at Feb. 20.

But that seems unlikely because of stringent weather requirements for applyng the sealer.

The sealer is meant to protect the concrete from moisture and make it easier for spray paint to be washed off.

Goller said that applying the sealer requires a minimum air temperature of 35 degrees, less than 85 percent humidity and a dewpoint no more than five points more than the minimal air temperature.

Even Thursday’s weather, which was sunny and fairly warm in Port Angeles, wasn’t good enough, because rain was predicted for the afternoon and the sealer needs four hours to dry, he said.

About 30 percent of the concrete has been covered by the sealer, Goller said, and Parsons needs about eight days of good weather during a Monday through Friday work week to complete the work.

Goller said the city would have to reimburse Parsons for overtime pay if the work is done during a weekend.

Do it later?

So why not open the bridges and do sealer work later?

City officials had thought of that and scheduled a meeting for last Wednesday with Parsons and Exeltech on that topic.

Goller said the meeting wasn’t held this week because the project manager for Parsons was too sick to make it. He said the meeting probably will be next Wednesday.

Goller said an issue that needs to be resolved for the bridges to open before the contracted work — such as the applying the sealer –is finished, is safety liability.

“As long as the contractor has the contract in his hands and the schedule of work has not been completed, the liability is the contractor’s,” he said.

“Liability shifts when it’s in public use.”

Goller said that the city of Port Angeles would have to resolve that issue with Parsons for the bridges to be opened before the sealer work can be completed.

What certainly has to be completed before the bridges can be opened is the installation of the railing.

Goller said the railing is almost completely installed and will be completed as soon as Parsons receives a few more pieces, which had to be specially ordered.

“The normal procedure is to put all the rail in that we can, and the unique pieces, to make everything fit right, are field-measured and ordered,” he said.

Goller said that, once the pieces are delivered, completion of the railing work will take one day.

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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.