Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Hatley Bridge on the Pullman-Wawawai Road was opened for traffic Aug. 12 after a partial rebuilding project.
The Hatley Bridge contract was awarded last December to Harry Johnson Plumbing and Excavation on a bid of $720,300.
Previous county work by the Walla Walla company includes the construction of two bridges in the past five years, the Neel Bridge and the Aune Bridge.
The Hatley project included a partial rebuilding of the span to be paid for by Federal Surface Transportation funds, generated from gas taxes. No county funds were used.
Items that remain to be done include removing the detour bridge, cleanup of errant steel planks, gravel and wood pieces, and hydro seeding for about a half-acre of area used by contractors.
Whitman County Public Works Director Mark Storey in his report to county commissioners Monday noted paperwork on the federally funded project could take up to a year to finish.
The Whitman County Road Department studied the Hatley Bridge two years ago and deemed the existing girders to be nearing a marginal rating for supporting heavy loads.
The bridge then was posted at a reduced speed for trucks (35 mph) as well as a limit of only one truck at a time on the span.
Storey said he expects the reduced-speed signs and truck restrictions will be removed once the project in complete.
Also Monday, Storey reported that Public Works has stopped roadside mowing which it normally does this time of year because of the dry conditions.
“I don’t think people would appreciate if we mow the grass merely to ignite the grass,” he said.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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