PORT HADLOCK — Men will dangle some 100 feet from the Portage Canal Bridge, also known as the Port Townsend Canal Bridge, today as they repair navigational lights for water traffic.
Drivers on state Highway 116 today could experience delays of up to 45 minutes.
Beginning at 9 a.m. today, state Department of Transportation crews will use a crane truck to lower signal technicians about 100 feet over the side of the bridge, which is about 2 miles east of Port Hadlock, to repair the lights.
One or both lanes of the bridge will be closed during the work. Flaggers will direct traffic.
“We think that the bulbs have just burned out,” said Claudia Bingham Baker, spokeswoman for Transportation’s Olympic region.
“We’re hoping that’s the problem because that’s the easiest fix, but we won’t know for sure until we get down there and take a look at them.”
The nature of the repairs will determine how long the task takes, she said.
“If repairs are limited to relamping the lights, the work could be done by
11 a.m.
“If other repairs are required, the work and bridge closure/restrictions could extend into the afternoon, but all work is expected to be completed” today.
The cost of the repair won’t be known until the extent of the problem is discovered, Baker said.
“We’re using our own state bridge maintenance people and using our own equipment,” she said.
The lights were reported to be out Aug. 29.
In the meantime, boat captains have navigated without the lights, which tell them where the bridge is and, using different colored lights, where a boat is in relation to the waterway.
No problems with navigation have been reported, Baker said.
Bridge navigational lights are safety features required by the Coast Guard.
