PACIFIC NORTHWEST EDITION
A Supplement to:
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December 3 2023 Vol. VII • No. 25
“The Nation’s Best Read Construction Newspaper… Founded in 1957.” Your Pacific Northwest Connection – Sharon Swanson – 1-760-518-4336 – sswanson@cegltd.com
Ceccanti Installs Girders for New Elwha River Bridge
WSDOT photo
General contractor Ceccanti recently installed girders for the new Elwha bridge, a span that was originally built nearly 100 years ago that requires an upgrade.
General contractor Ceccanti has made significant progress on building the new Elwha River Bridge near Olympic National Park in Clallam County, Wash. In February 2023, The Washington State Department of Transportation awarded a $27.65 million contract to the Tacoma-based contractor to build a replacement bridge after the original span served the community for nearly a century. Replacing the bridge will ensure that the U.S. 101 route continues to be a reliable transportation facility for decades to come. The new bridge will be 502 ft. long and 40 ft. wide. It will accommodate two 12-ft. lanes with two-8 ft. shoulders (the
current bridge is 28 ft. wide). A wider bridge will create a more comfortable crossing for travelers and provide adequate shoulder room for bicyclists and pedestrians. Additionally, the new alignment with U.S. 101/Olympic Hot Springs Road will have a more gentle curvature, with a higher design speed at the east end of the bridge. Work on the new bridge began on April 17. Since then, crews have been cleared the area and built access roads. These roads allowed them to begin drilling shafts for the outer piers of the new bridge. Most recently, crews set numerous girders on the bridge from Nov. 11-16. see BRIDGE page 8
Ceccanti photo
Over the past several years, the Elwha River has dramatically changed its course and flow, leading to significant erosion around the bridge foundations. As a result, WSDOT estimates the riverbed around the bridge’s piers has lowered 14 ft.