Port Angeles’ Valley Creek bridge set to close for good Monday morning

PORT ANGELES – The Valley Creek bridge will be closed on Monday morning for the Eighth Street bridges replacement project, said Jim Mahlum, the city’s project manager.

“Since there’s not a lot of traffic now on Eighth Street west of Lincoln Street, they can close it whenever they want,” he said.

“But the contractor was saying it would be shortly after 8 a.m.”

The Tumwater Truck Route, which was closed for the past week to allow demolition of the portion of the Tumwater Creek bridge above the roadway, was scheduled to re-open today, Mahlum said.

Parsons RCI Inc. of Sumner is replacing the two timber trestle bridges along West Eighth Street with concrete ones.

The $18.4 million construction contract was awarded at the April 4 City Council meeting.

Each bridge will be 47 feet wide with two 12-foot travel lanes, two five-foot bicycle lanes and two 6.5-foot sidewalks.

Both will have two pedestrian viewpoints.

Preliminary work beneath the two bridges began in June.

The Tumwater Creek bridge was closed on Aug. 20.

The portion of the bridge over the Tumwater Truck Route has been cleared, but the demolition of the rest of the bridge is expected to take about another month, according to the updated construction schedule.

Demolition of the Valley Creek bridge is expected to last at least one month.

Monday’s closure is expected to go more smoothly than that of the Tumwater Creek bridge.

The Tumwater Creek bridge closure was delayed for two and a half hours by traffic signal problems on the detour routes.

“I hope we don’t have traffic light malfunctions,” Mahlum said.

“I don’t anticipate as much congestion Monday because everyone already has stopped using Eighth Street west of Lincoln,” he said.

“People along that street probably are enjoying the quiet.”

The new concrete spans are scheduled to open in November 2008.

Mahlum said the city’s noise ordinance permits the contractor to work from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. any day of the week.

But most of the work has been from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., during daylight hours, he said.

The city has told the contractor not to perform loud work, such as jackhammering, before 9 a.m. on Saturdays, Mahlum said.

Views of the bridge demolition and construction are available on the city’s Web site at www.cityofpa.us, along with detour routes, traffic revisions, Clallam Transit bus schedules and the anticipated construction schedule.

More in News

Peninsula College nursing students, from left, Emily Haddock of Lewiston, Idaho, Jordan Hegtvedt of Sequim and Chaela Cashman of Port Angeles adjust each other’s mortar boards in preparation for commencement ceremonies on Saturday on the college’s Port Angeles campus. A total of 328 students were expected to take part in two ceremonies with 530 students eligible for diplomas and certificates for the 2024-25 academic year. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
Graduation prep

Peninsula College nursing students, from left, Emily Haddock of Lewiston, Idaho, Jordan… Continue reading

Next steps outlined in Olympic Medical Center process

CEO: Update on status will be ‘coming soon’

Cooling centers would extend hours, if needed

Summer forecast calls for warmer, smokier conditions, public health specialist says

Elwha River bridge set to be demolished

Clallam commissioners receive road construction updates

Sequim city staff are considering next options for a house and various outbuildings in Gerhardt Park after a recent surplus auction resulted in no bids. (Matthew Nash/Olympic Peninsula News Group)
Sequim considers options for house in park

Public provided no bids during process that ended June 6

Three injured following crash near Forks

Three people were injured following a two-car collision on state… Continue reading

Power outage scheduled for West End customers

Clallam County Public Utility District No. 1 has announced a… Continue reading

Chimacum High School senior Jesse Daniels takes crazy cell phone photos of his classmates while waiting to march to the gym for his graduation ceremony at Chimacum High on Saturday. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Lasting memories

Chimacum High School senior Jesse Daniels takes crazy cell phone photos of… Continue reading

Cadence Harlan and Sophia Petta lead their class of 99 Port Townsend High School graduating seniors through the Rhododendron Garden at Fort Worden State Park on Friday for their graduation ceremony at McCurdy Pavilion. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Graduation walk

Cadence Harlan and Sophia Petta lead their class of 99 Port Townsend… Continue reading

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula
Carrie Blake Community Park, pictured last summer, returns as a Summer Meal Program destination through the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula and the Department of Agriculture. Meals are offered to children ages 1-18 from noon to 12:30 p.m. in the park on weekdays, except July 4, through Aug. 27.
Free student meals programs start in Port Angeles, Sequim

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula has launched its… Continue reading

Security exercise set for Wednesday at Indian Island

Naval Magazine Indian Island will conduct a security training… Continue reading

Carissa Guiley of Silverdale, left, along with daughters Mia Guiley, 5, and Evelyn Guiley, 8, peer over a rocky bluff at a sea stack in Crescent Bay on Saturday near Port Crescent. The family was on an outing at Salt Creek County Recreation Area. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
What’s over the edge?

Carissa Guiley of Silverdale, left, along with daughters Mia Guiley, 5, and… Continue reading