After questions, and rumors, about the safety barrier on the Aurora Bridge swirled around attendees at the most recent Fremont Chamber of Commerce meeting, it seemed time for a quick check in with Greg Phipps, spokesperson for the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the Aurora Bridge safety fence construction project.
Concerns had voiced about the intended starting point of the fence, and Phipps confirmed by phone that the fence, on the north end of the bridge, still “goes approximately to the pedestrian underpass,” he said, “maybe 15 feet south of that.” Posts have been attached to the steel portions of the bridge structure (a look at the bridge shows that the steel appears slightly pale green compared to the concrete portions of the structure.) In his mass e-mail update, Phipps explained that five different types of posts will be connected to the bridge in six different ways. The finished barrier requires 684 posts, with about 1/3rd installed as of November 24, 2010.
Of the posts installed, gaps exist between them. The construction crews have discovered some corrosion on the 100-year-old structure – on 23 beams, to be exact. Before posts can be installed in these locations, the contractor has ordered steel bracings to be fabricated and installed.
As with most construction projects, such unforeseen circumstances have delayed some of the work – and the fence panel installation has already been predicted to take longer than originally scheduled. Phipps did point out that the kind of work being done is not affected by snow or icy weather, fortunately. Yet, Phipps reported, completion has been pushed back to some time in mid/late January 2011.
Phipps also stated, again, that WSDOT has representatives available to address any community groups directly with an update. He can be reached by e-mail. For those who want to directly receive electronic bulletins on this project, visit the Safety Fence website and click on the ‘e-mail updates’ link in the upper right-hand corner.