Washington floating bridge receives new component

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said April 21 that work crews are progressing on the new State Route 520 floating bridge in Washington.

Contractor crews were expected to have a huge, hinged transition span that acts as a threshold between the highway’s floating roadway and its fixed, raised section near the Eastern shore of Lake Washington completely installed last week.

Eight girders, each 190 feet long and weighing 45 tons, make up the span.

The span works like a hinge on a door, moving along with the floating bridge while connecting it to the highway’s stationary east high-rise and serving as a transition between the two structures.

The span will support the new bridge’s westbound lanes and a bike and pedestrian path at the east end of the new floating bridge. Last June, a smaller hinged span for the eastbound lanes. The bridge is scheduled to open in spring 2016.

The installation is one of multiple steps of the SR 520 bridge replacement and high-occupancy vehicle program.

WSDOT said drivers approaching the construction site from the existing SR 520 floating bridge should pay extra attention to driving conditions.

For information on road closures associated with the SR 520 construction, see the SR 520 Orange Page at http://sr520.publicinvolvement.net.