PORT ANGELES — The long-awaited completion of the Eighth Street bridges will take a little longer.
The city of Port Angeles and project manager, Exeltech, estimate the two concrete bridges will be open to traffic and pedestrians on about Feb. 2, as long as there are no weather-related delays.
The project is still within its $24.6 million budget, but construction company, Parsons RCI of Sumner, is in the process of placing a request for additional funds to cover a significant increase in costs of materials since the project began, said Glenn Cutler, city public works director, on Tuesday.
Cutler said Parsons’ request will be reviewed, and if approved, he doesn’t expect it to cost more than $100,000 ¬– which would still leave the project within budget.
As of Tuesday, the Tumwater Creek bridge is about 90 percent completed and the Valley Creek bridge is about 85 percent done, said Ingo Goller, Exeltech construction manager.
Construction began on June 25, 2007. Traffic has been rerouted through town to avoid the major arterial that crosses the two ravines.
The project is funded by $21.6 million in state Department of Transportation grants and $3 million in city funds.
45-day extension
Cutler said the project’s completion was most recently estimated for mid-December, but the city gave Parsons an extension of about 45-calendar days.
“Poor soil” on the west side of the Tumwater Creek bridge required a redesign of a foundation abutment that resulted in the extension, he said.
Cutler said Parsons received about $90,000 to cover the additional work.
Without any delays, Goller said the project could have been completed on Nov. 17.
Other than the contract extension, most of the other delays have been weather-related, he said.
Goller said Parsons’ $18.4 million contract awarded in April 2007 for construction of the new bridges, as well as demolition of the old timber trestle bridges, covers 350 working days.
Without the extension, the company would have about 10 more working days to go.
Under the current schedule, the work will last for about 19 months in total, which is the amount of work the city estimated when it put the project out to bid in December 2005.
The bridges will be 47 feet wide with two 12-foot lanes, two 5-foot bicycle lanes, two 6.5-foot sidewalks and two pedestrian viewpoints. They replace the two timber trestle bridges built in 1936.
Cutler said the new bridges have an estimated lifespan of 75 years.
Goller and Cutler both said that the project has gone “extraordinarily well.”
Said Cutler: “There have been no lost-time accidents. Parsons has an excellent safety record.
“There have been minimum traffic disturbances. We acknowledge there was some. . . it has been executed as expected.”
What’s left to do?
Goller said both bridges are substantially completed, and some cleanup work on the construction site has begun.
Most of the work left to do on the Vine Creek bridge, Goller said, includes the construction of sidewalks, placement of the railing on each side, spraying of a coat of “pigmented sealer” on the concrete, and site restoration.
Site restoration includes creation of wetlands in the valleys and the loosening of soil that has been compacted by the large construction vehicles.
Goller said the sealer prevents moisture from accessing the concrete, and also makes it easier for graffiti to be washed off.
Most of the work left to be done on the Tumwater Creek bridge, which is the closest to completion, includes placement of the railing, a coat of the sealer, and site restoration.
Other costs
On top of Parsons’ contract, a contingency fund, and planning costs, the project includes:
•âÇ$1.94 million contract with Exeltech for construction management.
•âÇ$175,000 for traffic signals.
•âÇ$70,000 for Clallam Transit and Paratransit to transport people to one side of the bridges to the other during construction.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
