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Auburn Magazine Fall 2021 Issue
Feature Capital Projects:
3rd Street SW Bridge Decks Preservation & Lea Hill Bridge Deck Preservation
Did you know that the City has a Bridge Deck Preservation Program? This program was created to implement preventative maintenance measures to City bridges as identified through routine bridge inspections that are conducted by King County. The program helps to prolong the service lives of bridges in hopes of avoiding costly bridge repairs or worse, complete bridge replacement. There are currently 16 City bridges that are in the Bridge Deck Preservation program.
In 2019, the bridge inspection reports identified certain City bridges that are in need of repair. To help address these repair needs, the City applied for and received federal grant funding through the Federal Highway Administration for two bridge deck preservation projects. The federal grant funding that was awarded to the City is covering 100% of the costs to design and construct these necessary improvements.
Due to the specialized work associated with completing these improvements, the City hired a consultant to help support the design and construction of the projects.
Project Descriptions
The first of the two projects is the 3rd Street SW Bridge Decks Preservation, which actually consists of 3 separate bridges located between C Street SW and A Street SW (see Figure A below). These bridges provide access to State Route 18 from downtown Auburn and a grade separated crossing of the BNSF Railway tracks.
The proposed Projects improvements for the 3rd Street SW Bridge Decks Preservation include:
- Remove debris and clean each of the bridge decks
- Apply a polymer based protective sealer into the existing cracks and over the entirety of each bridge deck. The polymer protective sealant will provide up to 10 years of protection. (Photo A below shows the City’s consultant mapping out the cracks on one of the bridges.)
Figure A: Project Location – 3rd Street SW Bridges
Photo A: 3rd Street SW Bridge - Surface Crack Mapping
The second project is the Lea Hill Bridge Deck Preservation, located on 8th Street NE spanning the Green River (see Figure B below). This bridge provides access to downtown Auburn from the Lea Hill area.
The proposed Project improvements for the Lea Hill Bridge Deck Preservation include:
- Grind off the existing damaged top layer of the bridge deck
- Replace damaged expansion joints (see Photo B below)
- Apply a polymer based protective sealer into the existing cracks
- Apply a concrete overlay over the entire bridge deck
Figure B: Project Location – Lea Hill Bridge
Photo B: Lea Hill Bridge – Expansion Joint Damage
Project Benefits
The benefits of completing the work on each of these bridges includes:
- Preventing entry of moisture and debris into the cracks
- Providing a thicker cover over the rebar reinforcement (Lea Hill Bridge only)
- Providing a smoother riding surface
- Prolonging the service life of the bridges
Project Costs and Funding
These projects are fully funded by a federal grant. The total current project estimate for both projects combined is $1.4 Million.
Project Schedule and Impacts
The design of this project was completed in August 2021 and the construction contract advertised for bids in September 2021.
It is anticipated that work on the 3rd Street SW bridges will begin and be completed in Fall of 2021. The construction will require around the clock full bridge closures to general traffic for one entire weekend.
It is anticipated that work on the Lea Hill bridge will begin and be completed in Spring of 2022. There will be times during construction when the roadway will be narrowed down to one single lane to the general traffic.
Who to contact for more information?
For more information on these projects, please contact Kim Truong, Project Engineer at 253-804-5059 or via email at [email protected].