Finish date moved back for bridge

Completion date for the Highway 26 bridge deck project west off Highway 395 has again been extended, the Department of Transportation reported this week. Cold temperatures have extended the time needed for new rails on the bridge to cure.

“The temperature situation makes the exact date difficult to determine,” said Jeff Adamson, DOT's spokesman for the North Central District Wenatchee.

Adamson Tuesday told the Gazette the new bridge deck has finished curing and meets all specifications.

The Highway 26 deck job has led to a 14-mile detour via Connell installed for cross-state traffic.

The department's first target date for completion was slated Nov. 21 to get the bridge back in service prior to WSU's Thanksgiving break and the Apple Cup game.

A late start and construction setbacks caused the department to stretch the date past Nov. 21.

Adamson said the biggest problems the DOT has noticed occurred after football fans headed home after the Apple Cup.

Barriers at the bridge had to be repositioned many times after people ran into them when they failed to observe the detour signs.

“It's not been a consistent problem,” Adamson commented.

“All things considered, the number of incidents is amazingly small.”