Everett bridge work to shut lane
Published 1:21 am Thursday, February 28, 2008
EVERETT — Crews are set to start replacing a girder that supports the I-5 bridge over Pacific Avenue in Everett next week.
The project will close an I-5 southbound lane between Everett Avenue and 41st Street to create a construction zone in the middle of the freeway, starting Wednesday night. That will split and slow down southbound traffic.
“We don’t like to split traffic,” said Mark Allison, project engineer for the state Department of Transportation. “Because of the location of the girder, we really don’t have a choice.”
Speed limits in the area will be reduced from 60 mph to 50 mph during the eight-week project, Washington State Patrol trooper Kirk Rudeen said.
During day, three lanes in the area will be carrying southbound traffic, said Patty Michaud, spokeswoman for the transportation department. During night, crews may close additional lanes.
“Daytime traffic will be slower,” said Connie Lewis, spokesperson for contractor Atkinson-CH2M Hill.
The area is one of the most heavily-used parts of I-5 in Snohomish County, with about 90,000 vehicles heading south over Pacific Avenue daily, Michaud said.
If southbound drivers want to exit the freeway onto 41st Street in Everett, they need to stay in the far right lane as they avoid the construction zone, Rudeen said.
“What we don’t want is last-minute lane changes,” he said.
The 95-foot-long girder was damaged in December 2006 when a truck carrying an excavator hit the bridge, Allison said.
“We designed this bridge to last for decades,” he said. “For this bridge to last, we have to replace this.”
The work could cost about $1 million, and the trucker’s insurance company is expected to foot the bill, Allison said.
Reporter Yoshiaki Nohara: 425-339-3029 or ynohara@heraldnet.com.
