In just five days the construction crew, of Guy F. Atkinson Construction, conducted the emergency repairs needed to the George Washington Memorial (Aurora) Bridge, and all lanes are able to once again be open to traffic – SAFELY.
Last weekend, Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Inspectors discovered a damaged support beam beneath the bridge deck on the southbound side. The damaged beam, also known as a stringer, had corroded over time and dropped about half an inch. A stringer is riveted, or bolted, to beams with steel plates and intended to carry the weight of the deck.
“This was a complicated repair because the contractor was working with a stringer that was still holding a section of bridge deck,” explained WSDOT Assistant Regional Administrator Messay Shiferaw. “We needed to lift the closed part of the deck with additional steel to alleviate pressure from the stringer, repair the connecting steel and bolt it all back into place while still supporting the concrete deck.”
In five days, the steel workers and painting crews of Atkinson Construction removed paint from the damaged area, replaced the connecting plates and repainted the section to protect it from future corrosion, and WSDOT inspectors reviewed and approved the completed work.
All lanes of the Aurora Bridge are now open to all traffic, and the structure, built in 1931, is safe for all travel. For more information on WDOT and painting the Aurora Bridge, visit the WSDOT.wa.gov website (click here.)