SHINE — The Hood Canal Bridge will be closed to motor vehicles briefly this afternoon as crews continue ballasting operations on the draw span pontoons.
Drivers can expect a 25-to-30-minute delay starting at 2:30 p.m. today when the bridge’s center span is opened.
The opening allows contractors from Kiewit-General of Poulsbo to survey the pontoons and adjust the ballast to make certain the east and west draw spans are floating correctly in relation to one another.
The operations must be performed at slack tide to minimize the tidal effect, and ensure that the draw spans are evenly balanced.
Additional ballast test openings, creating delays of from 15 minutes to 30 minutes, are scheduled to correspond with the slack tide:
• At 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
• About 8:30 a.m. next Wednesday.
• About 9 a.m. Oct. 22.
• About 10 a.m. Oct. 23.
The state Department of Transportation replaced the Hood Canal Bridge’s east half and east and west trusses in the spring, reopening the bridge June 3.
Work on the project will continue through December, as crews complete electrical, hydraulic and mechanical upgrades and make final adjustments.
For more information, see www.HoodCanalBridge.com.
