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BRIDGE & ROAD<br />
construction<br />
UPDATE<br />
Labor Day:<br />
<strong>The</strong> changes<br />
made due to<br />
Labor Day and<br />
the American<br />
labor force in<br />
the 1880s proves<br />
there is much to<br />
be appreciated.<br />
Without this day<br />
and those who<br />
created it, 8 hour<br />
work days and a<br />
minimum wage<br />
would not be possible.<br />
Weekends<br />
also came to be<br />
because of these<br />
fighters, and the<br />
last long weekend<br />
that rounds out<br />
the summer.<br />
So turn on the<br />
sprinkler and sip<br />
some lemonade,<br />
but don’t forget<br />
to give a toast to<br />
those who made<br />
it possible.<br />
www.content<br />
4reprint.com<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Crab</strong> <strong>Cracker</strong><br />
Drivers get new gateway to Camano Island<br />
<strong>The</strong> new SR 532 Camano Island bridge opened to traffic about 6:30 a.m.<br />
Friday, August 13. Before that happened though, crews put in one long,<br />
last night cutting and removing pavement, shifting the road, then paving<br />
and striping to link the new bridge to SR 532. Just as the sun was rising<br />
over the new bridge, the last cars drove over the old bridge and it<br />
was permanently closed to traffic. <strong>The</strong> bridge is part of a 10-mile SR 532<br />
corridor that carries 20,000 vehicles a day, spans two counties and runs<br />
through the heart of Stanwood. Building the bridge was the largest piece<br />
of the SR 532 corridor project that will help improve safety, reduce choke<br />
points and preserve important transportation infrastructure along SR 532.<br />
This new bridge has wider lanes and shoulders, is built to current earthquake<br />
standards, has a lower profile to provide better sight distance, and<br />
has improved stormwater treatment to make it more environmentally<br />
friendly. Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen led the group to officially cut the<br />
ribbon on the new bridge on Wednesday, Aug. 11. She took time to recognize<br />
Lenore Moa who cut the ribbon on the old bridge 50 years ago.<br />
Many nodded heads as she recounted driving over the really old bridge<br />
with all its bumps. Remarks by local elected officials at the ceremony were<br />
followed by the unveiling of four steel sculptures depicting wildlife that<br />
will be mounted at each corner of the new bridge. Contractor Parsons-<br />
Kuney, Joint Venture funded the sculptures in coordination with a donation<br />
from two local non-profits: the Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation<br />
and the Camano Arts Association. Even though the new bridge is open<br />
to traffic, work near the bridge is far from over. Crews will spend the next<br />
several weeks stripping overhang brackets and wood frames from the<br />
bottom of the new bridge deck and piers, and continue demolishing the<br />
old bridge. One more layer of asphalt will be added to the new bridge<br />
approaches in September, after we are further along with the demolition<br />
work. Demolition will take about two months, and then crews will reshape<br />
the old bridge approaches to match up with the new bridge approaches<br />
and restore vegetation near the old bridge site. Most of the work building<br />
the new bridge was not visible from the road because of its lower profile,<br />
but the demolition work is very visible – please use caution when driving<br />
over the bridge, especially when demolition work is taking place or when<br />
crews are working on the shoulders of the new bridge. To see pictures<br />
of the bridge construction from start to finish and vintage photos of the<br />
original bridge (built in 1909), visit our Flickr page at: www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157622044469081/with/4426752921.<br />
<strong>The</strong> $84 million<br />
safety-improvement project on SR 532 is funded primarily by the 2005<br />
Transportation Partnership Program (TPA) gas tax. Crews broke ground on<br />
the project in June 2009 and expect to finish this December.<br />
Paving work and your morning commute<br />
Crews work as quickly as possible to complete paving and striping work<br />
by 5:30 a.m. and reopen the highway after nighttime lane closures. We<br />
do everything we can to be off the road by that time, but occasionally<br />
crews are delayed - like they were the night we switched traffic to the new<br />
bridge and on Wednesday, August 18, when the lane closure at Pioneer<br />
Highway reopened about 15 minutes late. We apologize for the delays<br />
and appreciate your patience. We understand the importance of having<br />
the road open on time for you each morning. We try to plan for everything,<br />
but once crews start paving a section of roadway, they can’t stop.<br />
It’s important for safety and quality that the section being paved is completed,<br />
cooled and striped before opening to traffic. When planning for<br />
your morning commute, please take into consideration any lane closures<br />
that may be in effect and build in a little extra time for unexpected delays.<br />
<strong>The</strong> good news is that we are almost done with the paving on this project.<br />
– WSDOT<br />
“You gotta crack it open to get to the good stuff”<br />
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