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Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. High 91F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph..
Partly cloudy skies early followed by increasing clouds with showers developing later at night. Low 61F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
The Lewis and Clark Bridge needs vital preservation work, according to WSDOT.
If you travel across the Lewis and Clark Bridge, now is your chance to speak up about the best timing for a closure of the bridge for up to six days in 2023.
The Lewis and Clark Bridge needs vital preservation work, according to WSDOT.
The bridge in Rainier that connects Oregon to Washington at Longview, needs vital preservation work, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
Closure of the bridge is planned for the spring/summer of 2023 to conduct the work.
The Lewis and Clark Bridge will fully close for six days as crews replace two bridge expansion joints, one joint on the north end of the bridge and one on the south.
Steel expansion joints allow the structure to expand and contract with daily temperature variations. These two expansion joints have deteriorated and need to be replaced. This repair project will help preserve the bridge and extend its service life, according to transportation officials.
During the closure, all vehicle traffic crossing the Columbia River will detour to either the Astoria-Megler Bridge between Megler, WA and Astoria, or the Interstate 5 Bridge between Vancouver and Portland. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and emergency vehicles will be provided access across the bridge during the full closure.
"While construction won’t happen until 2023, we are proactively planning for impacts to business, commuters, and freight haulers," a release from WSDOT states. "The Lewis and Clark bridge is currently in working condition and safe for all travelers."
Construction will start in 2023. We will know the construction schedule and bridge closure dates once a contractor is selected. We will share more information, including exact dates of total closure, in early 2023.
While the heaviest impacts to travelers will occur during the full closure of the bridge, travelers should prepare for up to two months of traffic impacts.
During construction, expect longer delays and congestion whether you commute over the bridge or travel in the project area. The work zone will have reduced speed limits for the safety of travelers and the construction crew. Emergency services will be able to cross the bridge during the full closure within a coordinated response time at low speeds.
Full closure for six days
To replace these expansion joints, the bridge must fully close to vehicle traffic for up to six days to allow the concrete adjacent to the new expansion joints to cure fully. This will reduce the likelihood of the bridge needing unscheduled, emergency repairs in the future.
Pedestrians, bicyclists, and emergency vehicles will be provided access across the bridge during the full closure.
Before and after the full bridge closure, there will be nightly single lane closures for additional joint work, project staging, and clean-up. This will leave only one lane open for both northbound and southbound traffic to share each evening.
Northbound and southbound traffic will alternate crossing the bridge in the open lane, as the other direction waits. Occasional daytime single lane closures may be needed but will be avoided to reduce congestion throughout the region.
During the full bridge closure, the Wahkiakum County Ferry between Cathlamet, WA and Westport, OR will run twice an hour all day.
WSDOT determined that a full bridge closure of up to six days was the best strategy to deliver this critically important preservation work for three reasons: safety, traffic impacts and quality of the repair.
WSDOT evaluated the safety of the traveling public and construction crews in the work zone; the overall traffic impacts for businesses, freight, and the general public; and the quality and lifespan of the repair.
In addition to the bridge expansion joint replacements, WSDOT crews will use the time to perform routine maintenance on the bridge during construction activity to maximize the use of the closure time.
About the Lewis and Clark Bridge
The Lewis and Clark Bridge spans the Columbia River between Longview, Washington, and Rainier, Oregon. The bridge was built in 1930 and designed by Joseph Struss, the engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. The Lewis and Clark Bridge carries over 20,000 vehicles per day and is a vital route for local economies and communities.
You can weigh in on the timing of this closure through Aug. 15 at the WSDOT's online survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LCBridge
The information hotline for this project is 1-800-545-1393.
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