Work starts Tuesday to fix damaged bridge near Birch Bay
Drivers can expect some delays when repairs begin Tuesday, Jan. 19, on a damaged section of the Birch Bay-Lynden Road overpass, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The $813,000 project to fix the bridge is expected to be done in early April.
It will require lane closures, including on Interstate 5, for two months.
But the impact on drive time shouldn’t be great.
“We don’t expect big delays,” said Tom Pearce of the WSDOT.
The overpass was damaged May 21 when an excavator being hauled by a flatbed truck struck it. Crews will replace a 60-foot girder that was damaged.
They will do so by cutting out part of the bridge over southbound I-5 that includes the damaged girder. They’ll put in the new girder, then pour a new concrete deck to connect the bridge.
Beginning Tuesday, the overpass will be reduced to one lane of alternating traffic. That will be the case until most of the repairs have been made.
Flaggers will direct traffic during peak morning and afternoon travel, and a temporary signal will be used outside of those times.
There also will be occasional nighttime closures of all lanes on southbound I-5 near milepost 270.
To get past that closure, drivers going south will use the Birch Bay-Lynden Road off-ramp and then immediately re-enter the interstate using the on-ramp.
People can stay updated on traffic during the project by going to www.wsdot.com/traffic/trafficalerts/ or by calling 511.
Kie Relyea: 360-715-2234, @kierelyea
This story was originally published January 16, 2016 at 9:04 AM with the headline "Work starts Tuesday to fix damaged bridge near Birch Bay."