June 29, 2009
Green River Bridge reopens
By JOURNAL STAFF
The Washington State Transportation Department has reopened the Green River Bridge on state Route 169 between Black Diamond and Enumclaw. The span was closed last November due to unstable soil at the south approach.
It took about $8 million and two phases of repairs to make the bridge safe for traffic. The first phase started in June of 2008, when engineers noticed significant soil movement. DBM Contractors installed 90 soil nails and covered the area with shotcrete as part of the interim, low-impact repair. Tri-State Construction was in charge of dirt work.
Heavy rains in November caused further soil movement, prompting WSDOT to close the bridge and do permanent repairs.
To fix the slide problem, general contractor Scarsella Brothers cleared dirt from the south end of the bridge to relieve pressure. With the help of DBM Contractors, a 160-foot-long retaining wall was built that reaches as much as 90 feet down into firm bedrock.
DBM drilled 57 shafts, which were filled alternately with concrete and lean concrete, and nailed the wall into the ground.
Crews also drilled drainage systems on the south side of the road, built up the road bed, and paved and striped the roadway.
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