OLYMPIA — Work to improve the Big Quilcene River Bridge will begin in late June, according to the state Department of Transportation.
The project will repair areas of the driving surfaces which are showing signs of wear and tear.
Drivers will find around-the-clock, one-way alternating traffic on the historic truss bridge on U.S. Highway 101.
The project is part of a $1.5 million bridge preservation contract with the state Department of Transportation (DOT) contractor Massana Construction Company of Gig Harbor.
Five bridges in Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason and Grays Harbor counties will be repaired, with the company focusing on one bridge at a time, DOT said in a press release.
“Drivers will see a combination of lane closures with flaggers to total bridge closures with a signed detour in place,” said Project Engineer Casey Fraisure in the release. “Our team will provide advance information about what travelers can expect.”
As early as this coming Monday, Grays Harbor County drivers using westbound U.S. Highway 12 at the Satsop River Bridge and eastbound Highway 12 at the bridge with state Highway 8 in Elma will see efforts to repair the driving surface of both bridges.
Crews will work on one lane at a time.
In Shelton, both directions of Highway 101 will be detoured via ramps at Shelton-Matlock Road for one weekend from 8 p.m. June 17 to 6 a.m. June 20, DOT said.
Work will begin in Quilcene in late June.
Repairs will begin in Bremerton after the Fourth of July. Warren Avenue Bridge on state Highway 303 will be reduced to one direction of travel for three weekends. The other direction will follow a detour via state Highway 3.
Repairs are needed to fill cracks in the roadway, DOT said.
“Damage allows water to seep into the subsurface of the bridge deck which can create even more damage.
“Construction is part of DOT’s effort to maximize the useful life of each bridge.”
To make repairs, crews create a work zone and a portion of the driving surface is closed, DOT said.
Crews remove and replace damaged areas of the bridge deck.
Workers need daylight hours to do some of the repair, DOT said.
“This type of construction can be noisy and some of the work may take place at night,” DOT said in the release.
“There may be times where it appears there is little work activity when lanes are closed. This is due to the time needed for new concrete time to harden.”
Real-time traffic information is available on the WSDOT app and WSDOT regional Twitter account.
