DECEPTION PASS STATE PARK — Drivers can expect two weeks of daytime delays on Highway 20 at Deception Pass at the end of March.
Starting Monday, crews will close one lane alternately to clean and inspect the bridge spans along the highway, according to the state Department of Transportation.
The cleaning is part of the state’s routine maintenance that occurs every two years, according to Tom Pearce with WSDOT communications.
“It’s important that we get this maintenance done,” Pearce said. “It will help to keep it lasting longer and safer.”
Drivers will encounter alternating, single-lane traffic at both the Deception Pass and Canoe Pass bridges, and may experience delays of up to 20 minutes.
Maintenance crews will use under-bridge inspection trucks to clean and inspect the structure. WSDOT said during the closures they will be working with City of Oak Harbor to inspect waterlines attached to the bridges.
“We know there’s never a good time to close lanes of traffic,” said Harvey Coffman, bridge preservation engineer, in a press release. “But we hope that by combining our work with other groups, we will create less impact on drivers in the long run.”
Crews plan to work on weekdays only, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through April 10. Work is expected to wrap up by noon each Friday.
During working hours, drivers will not be allowed to park on Pass Island, between the two bridges, according to WSDOT.
The late-March maintenance project is not related to the larger paving project to start this July, where drivers will experience full, overnight closures through September. Contractors working on that project will take advantage of the March lane closures to inspect the asphalt on the bridge decks.
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