Dense Soil Conditions Delay Opening Of The Replacement Lacamas Creek Bridge

Mercer Island WA

06 December, 2019

11:04 AM

Description

From the Washington State Department of Transportation: December 5, 2019 VADER – Since mid-June, the Washington State Department of Transportation closed a portion of State Route 506 near Vader to replace the aging and failing Lacamas Creek Bridge in Lewis County. While drilling foundations for the replacement structure, WSDOT's contractors, Farline Bridge, Inc., discovered dense soil conditions, which will delay the reopening of the highway. Construction was originally scheduled to be done in 2019, and redesign work needed to complete the job will delay the project completion until next year. "The soils about 60 feet below the original bridge shaft locations are denser than we originally determined during design investigation," said WSDOT Project Engineer Colin Newell. "As a result, the contractor was not able to drive the steel shafts for the structure's foundation to the required depth. This required a redesign of the shafts and the need to procure new reinforcing steel for them." When the newly designed reinforcing steel arrives, crews will begin installing them, digging some 80 feet down into the earth, then filling the shafts with concrete. Crews plan to work through the winter, as weather allows. Detour information During the closure, travelers between Vader and I-5 will follow a signed detour, using South Military Road and SR 505. The bridge closure will remain in place until construction of the new bridge is complete. WSDOT expects the new replacement bridge to be open to travelers in late spring 2020. This press release was produced by the Washington State Department of Transportation. The views expressed here are the author's own.