A project to improve a North Herron Road Northwest bridge’s resistance to seismic events such as earthquakes and extend the bridge’s life started July 20. The work is expected to be complete in late August.
The 60-foot-long bridge is located on the Key Peninsula about 850 feet southeast of the Herron Island Ferry Dock. A map showing the bridge’s location is available at www.piercecountywa.gov/crp5794.
Work will take place on weekdays. Work hours will typically be from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. four days a week, although the schedule will be set to maximize work during low tides.
Most of the work will take place underneath the bridge. The two-lane bridge may be reduced to one lane with alternating traffic during work hours.
Crews will clean the 10 concrete piles, which are posts that act as the legs of the bridge. Concrete-filled steel jackets will be placed around each pile to provide additional stability during seismic events.
The bridge was built in 1954 and carries approximately 350 vehicles a day, according to a 2013 vehicle count. The bridge is a three-span reinforced concrete flat slab bridge with precast concrete piles.
The project’s contractor is Nordvind Company. The construction cost is approximately $175,000. The project will be funded with Federal Highway Bridge Program funds.
A project webpage is available at www.piercecountywa.gov/crp5794.
Media Contact:
Anne Radford, Pierce County public information specialist
(253) 798-2464
anne.radford@piercecountywa.gov