PACIFIC NORTHWEST EDITION
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June 30 2024 Vol. VIII • No. 13
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” Your Pacific Northwest Connection – Sharon Swanson – 1-760-518-4336 – sswanson@cegltd.com
Finishing Touches WSDOT, Crews Near Completion of New Bridge On U.S. 101 The Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and its construction crews are nearing the finish of the construction of the new Elwah River Bridge on U.S. 101 west of Port Angeles, Wash. Following a nine-day closure where crews put some finishing touches on the $42 million construction project, the new span is now open. Crews have built out the bridge deck, built the abutment walls that attach on each side of the bridge where it meets the land and then tied in the bridge to the existing highway. The tie-ins were what required the closure of the bridge for more than week. The new bridge is 40-ft. wide with two, 12-foot lanes. The shoulders are 8-ft. wide to create a more comfortable crossing for travelers and provide adequate shoulder room for bicyclists and pedestrians. The new bridge meets modern earthquake standards and it also will not need to be monitored during the rainiest parts of the year. Travelers will also notice a gentler curve approaching the span.
The Washington Department of Transportation has announced that the closure of the new Elwha River Bridge along U.S. 101 in Port Angeles, Wash., has been lifted and the span is now open.
Additional Construction Crews will now begin demolishing the old bridge, which is nearly a century old and has reached the end of its useful lifespan. Crews also will continue installing large woody material in the river, which helps restore the river to more natural conditions. The entire project is expected to be complete in the fall. Work to replace the bridge began in 2016. WSDOT held six community meetings between 2016 and 2018. Planning, designing and an environmental review then took place. Construction finally began on a new bridge over the Elwha River in April 2023. For the first few months, crews spent time preparing and clearing the site and building the piers. In November 2023, crews from Ciccanti began placing the girders for the new bridge. Need to Replace Bridge Built in 1926, the three-span, 388-ft. concrete arch bridge has see ELWAH page 6
General contractor Cicantti installed the girders for the bridge in November 2023.