STANWOOD — People with concerns and questions about the upcoming work on Highway 532 and the new Gen. Mark Clark Bridge are encouraged to attend an open house set for 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. today.
Department of Transportation officials plan to host the event in the commons at Stanwood High School, 7400 272nd St. NW.
Participants at the open house can view plans about construction and pick up materials to take home. Staff from the design and construction teams are set to be on hand to answer questions. Those who attend also can learn about ways to stay informed during construction activities.
The project is designed to improve safety along the 10-mile stretch between I-5 and Camano Island, including construction of a new bridge, the only link between the island and the mainland. Work is scheduled to begin July 1, and the entire project is expected to be completed by spring 2011.
The new bridge will be built north of the existing bridge while the old bridge remains open to traffic. Drivers can expect several brief nighttime closures of the bridge while crews set girders for the new bridge. Emergency vehicles will have access to the bridge at all times during construction, DOT officials said.
The new bridge will be 56 feet wide, almost twice as wide as the existing structure, and wide shoulders will allow emergency vehicles to safely pass.
Unlike the current bridge, the new structure is designed to collect and treat the storm-water runoff from the bridge.
Supporting piers will be built out of the Stillaguamish River to keep disruption to fish and marine mammals to a minimum, lessen the impact to the estuary when the bridge is complete and reduce construction costs, officials said.
For those unable to attend the open house, more information about the project is available online at www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR532 or by calling the project hotline at 360-631-3887.
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