Bridge repair, maintenance work in county set for 2016

The new Broadway Bridge in Everett re-opened to traffic Dec. 8. The former span was 102 years old and had weight restrictions the last eight months of its use.

The new bridge was the highlight of a relatively quiet year of bridge work in Snohomish County that largely focused on maintenance and repairs.

Shovels are getting prepped for a busier 2016.

In Brier, an innocuous yet well-trafficked bridge that has had weight restrictions for several years will be replaced.

Near Granite Falls, a one-lane bridge on 64th Street NE that connects horse pasture with the pavement of Highway 92 will be replaced, while a more major project on the Mountain Loop Highway awaits federal help.

And in Everett, two pedestrian bridges will get attention. Repair work on the Howarth Park pedestrian bridge will go to bid in early 2016, with a planned re-opening in time for summer beach fun. Work also is scheduled to start on a much-anticipated Grand Avenue Park pedestrian bridge that will link north Everett to the waterfront.

In a world where funding for transportation projects often is elusive, bridge work offers a relatively bright spot.

“Washington’s done a reasonably good job of trying to catch up on the bottom tier of structurally deficient bridges. I think statewide we’ve made some good gains over the last decade or so,” said Ryan Sass, engineer for the city of Everett.

Sometimes it can take a bit longer to get funding than is desired, said Darrell Ash, Snohomish County’s bridge engineer. But the county has been largely successful in getting the federal Highway Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation grants that typically cover 80 percent of such project costs.

The federal bridge funds won’t be enough to check off the county’s biggest bridge wish-list item though.

The 81-year-old Granite Falls Bridge 102 spans the Stillaguamish River and is part of a 52-mile Mountain Loop Scenic Byway between Granite Falls and Darrington.

“It’s an essential part of our local economy,” Ash said.

Plans call for building a new bridge just downstream that is double the current bridge’s width.

The county applied for a $16 million federal TIGER grant, which would have covered the bulk of the $22 million total project costs. But it was passed over. The county will get the project prepped for the big-ticket work and apply again in 2016.

“In this current funding climate, projects that are construction ready have a much higher success rate,” said Catherine Higgins, a Public Works spokeswoman.

Snohomish County has 201 bridges. Maintenance continues to make up the bulk of work orders.

Between 1994 and 2014, 65 bridges were replaced or rebuilt. At the end of 2014, there were 13 county-owned bridges still listed as “structurally deficient,” according to Snohomish County Public Works’ annual Bridge Report. That’s 6.5 percent of all bridges the county oversees.

Structurally deficient means that a bridge requires repair or replacement of a certain component. It doesn’t imply that the bridge is in danger of collapse or unsafe to the travelling public.

Among them, Pilchuck River Bridge 581 is in line for a $4.5 million replacement in 2016. The 55-year-old, one-lane bridge connects a Lochsloy agricultural area off Highway 92. The bridge is prone to flash-flooding and has weight restrictions.

At the other end of the county, Swamp Creek Bridge 504 is set for a $2 million replacement. The bridge is on Locust Way, east of Brier, and sees more than 9,700 vehicles per day. Pilings for the new bridge will be taken out of the creek, and the new bridge will be wide enough to accommodate bike paths and sidewalks.

Statewide, more than 1 in 10 bridges are at least 75 years old. It would cost an estimated $2.3 billion to replace just the 310 state-owned bridges in that mix.

For now, five state bridges are under contract for replacement. Another 29 are in need of a major overhaul, including four in Snohomish County. One of those projects, the 88-year-old Snohomish River Bridge on Highway 9, is inching forward with design work expected in 2019.

The state also eyes improvements aimed at helping bridges better withstand earthquakes and flooding or scouring.

Which brings up the other way bridge projects often get done: in an emergency. As 2015 draws to a close, work continues on shoring up a Skykomish-area bridge on U.S. 2 that was damaged by erosion in the Nov. 17 storm.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

A firefighter stands in silence before a panel bearing the names of L. John Regelbrugge and Kris Regelbrugge during the ten-year remembrance of the Oso landslide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
‘Flood of emotions’ as Oso Landslide Memorial opens on 10th anniversary

Friends, family and first responders held a moment of silence at 10:37 a.m. at the new 2-acre memorial off Highway 530.

Julie Petersen poses for a photo with images of her sister Christina Jefferds and Jefferds’ grand daughter Sanoah Violet Huestis next to a memorial for Sanoah at her home on March 20, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. Peterson wears her sister’s favorite color and one of her bangles. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
‘It just all came down’: An oral history of the Oso mudslide

Ten years later, The Daily Herald spoke with dozens of people — first responders, family, survivors — touched by the deadliest slide in U.S. history.

Victims of the Oso mudslide on March 22, 2014. (Courtesy photos)
Remembering the 43 lives lost in the Oso mudslide

The slide wiped out a neighborhood along Highway 530 in 2014. “Even though you feel like you’re alone in your grief, you’re really not.”

Director Lucia Schmit, right, and Deputy Director Dara Salmon inside the Snohomish County Department of Emergency Management on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Oso slide changed local emergency response ‘on virtually every level’

“In a decade, we have just really, really advanced,” through hard-earned lessons applied to the pandemic, floods and opioids.

Ron and Gail Thompson at their home on Monday, March 4, 2024 in Oso, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
In shadow of scarred Oso hillside, mudslide’s wounds still feel fresh

Locals reflected on living with grief and finding meaning in the wake of a catastrophe “nothing like you can ever imagine” in 2014.

Everett mall renderings from Brixton Capital. (Photo provided by the City of Everett)
Topgolf at the Everett Mall? Mayor’s hint still unconfirmed

After Cassie Franklin’s annual address, rumors circled about what “top” entertainment tenant could be landing at Everett Mall.

Everett
Everett man sentenced to 3 years of probation for mutilating animals

In 2022, neighbors reported Blayne Perez, 35, was shooting and torturing wildlife in north Everett.

The Washington State University Snohomish County Extension building at McCollum Park is located in an area Snohomish County is considering for the location of the Farm and Food Center on Thursday, March 28, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Year-round indoor farmers market inches closer to reality near Mill Creek

The Snohomish County Farm and Food Center received $5 million in federal funding. The county hopes to begin building in 2026.

Dorothy Crossman rides up on her bike to turn in her ballot  on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett leaders plan to ask voters for property tax increase

City officials will spend weeks hammering out details of a ballot measure, as Everett faces a $12.6 million deficit.

Starbucks employee Zach Gabelein outside of the Mill Creek location where he works on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024 in Mill Creek, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mill Creek Starbucks votes 21-1 to form union

“We obviously are kind of on the high of that win,” store bargaining delegate Zach Gabelein said.

Lynnwood police respond to a collision on highway 99 at 176 street SW. (Photo provided by Lynnwood Police)
Police: Teen in stolen car flees cops, causes crash in Lynnwood

The crash blocked traffic for over an hour at 176th Street SW. The boy, 16, was arrested on felony warrants.

The view of Mountain Loop Mine out the window of a second floor classroom at Fairmount Elementary on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
County: Everett mining yard violated order to halt work next to school

At least 10 reports accused OMA Construction of violating a stop-work order next to Fairmount Elementary. A judge will hear the case.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.