Grand Avenue Bridge To Waterfront To Be Delayed

Issues with steel components have led to a delay in the schedule for the pedestrian bridge between Grand Avenue Park and the Everett waterfront. Here’s more from a press release send out by the City of Everett today.

Final assembly and setting of the Grand Avenue Park Bridge that was scheduled to occur this summer is now planned for late spring 2019. The bridge’s steel components are taking longer to manufacture than planned, which means that crews will miss this year’s work window for putting the bridge in place.

“We’ve made great progress so far, and we are looking forward to celebrating the new bridge with the community when it opens it early 2020,” said Heather Griffin, the bridge’s project manager. “It’s not unusual to experience scheduling changes with complex projects like this one, and we’ll continue to work closely with our contractor and our many public agency partners to successfully complete the project.”

Because the bridge will cross over several Burlington Northern (BNSF) tracks and be under power transmission lines, assembling the structure requires close coordination with the railroad and Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD). The project team worked with BNSF and PUD to allow for the bridge setting work to occur between April and the middle of September. The delayed steel fabrication means the work will now have to wait until the bridge-setting window opens again in spring 2019.

Over the next several months, crews will continue to work on other items not critical to placement of the bridge. A second contract for installing pipelines in West Marine View Drive from the bridge location north to 14^th Street will also be completed during this time. Once the bridge structure is assembled and set in place next spring, crews will begin the final phases of the project, including pouring the bridge deck and installing lighting. The bridge is expected to open to the public in early 2020.

The Grand Avenue Park Bridge will carry utilities across a steep slope, replacing deteriorating underground storm and sewer pipes. Placing the new pipelines on the utility bridge will also make them more accessible for inspection and maintenance. Federal funding for the upgrade of the bridge provides a pedestrian connection from the Grand Avenue Park bluff down to the waterfront.

The city also issued the following construction update on the project.

Completed
Rebar preparation, forms, and concrete pours for the uppermost portion of the tower. The tower concrete pours (both the outside walls and rooms inside) are now complete.
Rebar preparation, forms, and concrete pours for the east abutment of the bridge at Grand Avenue Park.
Slope stabilization installation.
Installation of large diameter pipelines in West Marine View Drive.
In Process
Sandblasting of patterns on exterior of tower.
Reviews and approvals of bridge steel shop drawings, bridge lighting, and mock-up of the guard rail.
Steel bridge pieces are being manufactured and then assembled in a large bay at the mill in Vancouver, Washington. The Washington State Department of Transportation is inspecting this process.
Contractor is awaiting approval of the Bridge Erection Plan from BNSF Railway. Application was also made for widening the private railroad crossing for the bridge erection.
Paving of West Marine View Drive will reduce the lanes of traffic to one lane with flagging. This is anticipated in the first week of August, but is dependent on the paving subcontractor and weather.
Installation and welding of pipelines in the utility shaft.
Upcoming
Frontier will be installing a crossing for elevator communication. This work will involve lane closures on West Marine View Drive and will not begin until after the current traffic control for one-lane flagging is no longer needed.
Removal of traffic control from West Marine View Drive.
The elevator is in the process of being manufactured and scheduled for delivery approximately September 1st.
PUD will be installing electrical service to the tower for the elevator.
Completion of roofing for the tower.

Suspension of construction contract for critical path items.

Per the provisions in the contract, a contract suspension related to the manufacture and delivery of the steel bridge members was allowed due to the number and size of steel members to be manufactured. This suspension, coupled with the fourth quarter moratorium that BNSF Railway has for over track work, will lead to a bridge setting date in 2019. The timing for setting the bridge is also dependent on PUD allowances for outages on the transmission lines that cross over the bridge. This outage window is typically reserved for late spring or summer due to higher electrical demands and weather. Once the bridge is placed, additional work will continue, including pouring the pedestrian pathway, and installation of railings and lighting.

More information about the project can be found at the project’s webpage: everettwa.gov/gapb.