PORT ANGELES — Traffic was flowing near the old East Lauridsen bridge more easily Tuesday than it had been Monday after directional striping was completed, officials said.
The bridge at Lauridsen Boulevard and Race Street was closed Monday in preparation for the demolition — expected to begin this coming Monday — and replacement of the 43-year-old bridge over Peabody Creek.
Road construction crews with Kent-based Scarsella Bros. Inc. re-striped lanes along Race Street then.
Backed-up traffic
On Monday, traffic backed up on South Race Street from East Park Avenue south to the Olympic National Park Visitor Center and north to East Eighth Street, with the vehicles controlled by flaggers while crews removed raised pavement markers and laid down temporary double-line no-passing stripes.
A temporary four-way stop was installed at the intersection of Race Street/Mount Angeles Road with Park Avenue, as well as a temporary three-way stop at Lauridsen Boulevard and Race Street.
Both will remain in place while demolition and replacement are underway.
The $4.5 million project is expected to be finished in late January or early February.
On the first day of the work, police heard reports of drivers running the new stop signs, said Port Angeles Deputy Police Chief Brian Smith.
On Tuesday, traffic was flowing better without the flaggers and striping operation, and Monday’s problem with stop signs had not continued, Smith said.
‘An adjustment’
“Monday, there were street signs but no [painted] limit lines,” Smith said.
Several police and fire officials live in the area, so it will be closely monitored, he said.
Smith noted that the signs have been in place for fewer than 48 hours and that residents in the area will find alternative routes.
“It’s going to be something of an adjustment,” Smith said.
The demolition of the bridge is expected to begin this Monday as soon as crews complete steps being taken to protect Peabody Creek from falling debris.
The bridge will be dismantled in chunks, which is expected to be finished in about two weeks, depending on the weather, said Jim Mahlum, city civil engineer.
The bridge is a main artery to access Peninsula College and for school buses, parents and students at both Jefferson and Franklin elementary schools.
The first day of school for Port Angeles School District is Sept. 3, and Peninsula College’s fall semester begins Sept. 23.
Accommodations
“We’re looking at routes and trying to make accommodations,” said Karen Ross, Port Angeles School District transportation supervisor.
Most scheduling changes will be minor because the detours around the bridge are relatively short, only a few blocks, Ross said.
The district is working on a plan to provide transportation for children who live in the Mount Angeles View housing complex on East Lauridsen and attend Franklin Elementary, she said.
Ross said that once a schedule and pickup point are established, the temporary route will be posted on the district website, www.portangelesschools.org.
The new bridge’s driving surface will be 18 feet wider and will include an eastbound center turn lane, two 12-foot-wide vehicle lanes and two 5-foot-wide bike lanes.
Its replacement will be funded 80 percent by federal grants and 20 percent from Port Angeles city coffers.
Detours
Vehicles heading east on Lauridsen Boulevard are detoured north onto South Eunice Street, then east again onto East Eighth Street and finally south to connect with Lauridsen via South Race Street. Westbound vehicles take the same route in reverse.
A vehicular detour map can be viewed at www.cityofpa.us/LauridsenBlvdBridge.htm.
Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
