520 bridge to close this weekend

June 19, 2009 7:48 pm
The 520 bridge will be closed this weekend from 11 p.m. on Friday through 5 a.m. Monday.
The 520 bridge will be closed this weekend from 11 p.m. on Friday through 5 a.m. Monday.

The State Route 520 floating bridge will close this weekend from 11 p.m. today through 5 a.m. on Monday so that Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) maintenance crews can perform annual weekend inspection and maintenance work. The closure extends from Montlake Boulevard to 92nd Avenue N.E.

Eastside drivers traveling westbound to Medina, Hunts Point, Clyde Hill and Yarrow Point will be able to exit at 92nd Avenue NE. Detour routes will be marked, while Seattle drivers will be able to use SR 520 from I-5 to Montlake Boulevard E.

The WSDOT advises drivers to plan ahead and allow extra time as there are many events planned this weekend. The Livestrong Challenge will close the I-90 floating bridge express lanes to drivers from 6:30-9:30 a.m. on Sunday while cyclists make their way across Lake Washington.

The state also advises the use of overhead freeway signs and the 511 driver information line to get up-to-minute information on the road. Drivers can also check traffic maps online to pinpoint and avoid congestion.

WSDOT bridge engineers will test the main power supply to the bridge and inspect the mechanical systems during the closure. Workers will also perform ultrasonic testing on the draw span’s vertical guide rollers. Results of the inspection will be released in mid-August.

“The guide rollers help ensure the bridge can be opened smoothly and quickly,” WSDOT Bridge Superintendent Archie Allen said on the state Department of Transportation web site. “The ultrasonic testing allows us to ‘see’ inside the steel of the guide rollers to make sure they’re in good condition.”

Crews will also clean and lubricate the draw span’s tracks, repair potholes, clean out drains, repair electrical cover plates, perform preventive maintenance on the swing gates at mid-span and remove graffiti.

“Doing this maintenance work while the bridge is closed for the inspection saves us time and money,” said Allen. “In a short amount of time, we can get a lot of work done that would normally require lane closures that could disrupt traffic for several weeks.”