SHINE — The state Department of Transportation has scheduled overnight closures of the Hood Canal Bridge for two additional nights this week.
The span across state Highway 104 will be closed for five-hour segments both Wednesday and Thursday. During the closures, not even emergency vehicles will be allowed to cross the bridge, which connects the North Olympic Peninsula to Seattle and points east.
Here is the schedule for this week:
• 11 p.m. tonight to 4 a.m. Thursday.
• 11 p.m. Thursday to 4 a.m. Friday.
The closures are to allow crews to replace thick industrial-sized rubber bumpers that are affixed to the end of each half of the bridge, according to Doug Adamson, DOT spokesperson. The bumpers help prevent wear on the concrete floating pontoons.
DOT had intended to have the work completed last spring/summer, but supply chain issues delayed the installation, he said.
Workers use a floating work platform to reach the areas needed to install new bumpers while the draw span is closed to through-traffic. So calm waters, light winds and favorable tides are required, Adamson said.
He said that DOT schedules work a week out based on the weather forecast at the time, and that it will continue to schedule the overnight closures according to the forecast until the work is done.
To discover if the closures have been canceled in real time, dial 5-1-1, see www.wsdot.com/traffic or download the WSDOT mobile app. Information for doing so is at www.wsdot.wa.gov/travel/travel-information- phone. Email alerts also are available.
