SHINE — Hood Canal Bridge project officials with the state Department of Transportation and contractor Kiewit-General Construction Co. huddled Tuesday in an attempt to set a date to reopen the bridge, but decided no exact date could be set.
“I would say it’s safe to say it would be as soon as June 5,” said bridge project spokeswoman Becky Hixson, stopping short of declaring an absolute reopening date.
“Right now the discussions aren’t quite done. My hope is we will have something [today].”
Hixson said officials overseeing the $500 million project to replace the bridge’s east half hope to be in a better position today to confirm the bridge’s reopening date.
“Weather and other risks need to be taken into account,” she said, adding that major progress took place during good weather over the Memorial Day weekend.
Much of the final grouting was done between joints in the massive bridge pontoons recently towed in and connected.
Two roadway spans were set Monday between the pontoons, she said.
Over the weekend, crews lined up the east and west draw spans and marked spots that will be drilled out so huge rubber bumpers on the ends of the draw span pontoons can be bolted.
A “Bridge Opening Bash” has been set for June 6, whether the bridge is open or not.
The ceremony will be at Salsbury Point County Park, off state Highway 3 near Port Gamble, and the celebration will continue later in the day in Port Townsend.
The contractor’s original deadline for completion of the work was June 12.
That has been moved to June 15 because of weather-related delays.
Transportation will pay Kiewit-General a bonus of $75,000 a day for up to eight days for completing the bridge early.
If the company is late, it will pay the state $75,000 for each day’s delay, up to a maximum of $1 million.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
