EVERETT — A bridge repair project between Everett and Marysville is going to take longer than expected and it’ll continue the squeeze on Highway 529.
The state Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that the northbound Snohomish River Bridge will remain closed until at least mid-November. This means Highway 529 will continue with both lanes crossing the southbound bridge.
When the bridge closed in early June, state officials said it would reopen by mid-October.
Highway 529 provides an important alternative to I-5 and sees about 35,000 vehicles per day.
Traffic has gridlocked city streets in north Everett during the afternoon commute. Fridays are seeing “60-to-90 minute delays,” according to the transportation department’s page for the project. Transportation officials urged drivers to stay on I-5.
The delay is due to “unexpected challenges,” including that more steel needed to be replaced than expected, a state transportation release said.
Contractors “also had challenges with the tensioning rods and wire ropes for the lift mechanism,” state officials said.
State officials didn’t give an exact date for reopening the bridge, noting though it will have to be a Monday because it’ll take a weekend to remove the traffic crossovers.
The northbound bridge is 97 years old and was rebuilt in 1994. The project is expected to cost $13.5 million.
Jordan Hansen: 425-339-3046; jordan.hansen@heraldnet.com; X: @jordyhansen.
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