WSDOT I-90 Expansion Joint Replacement July 10 2009

Tonight contractor crews working for WSDOT replaced two 65-ton expansion joints on the I-90 floating bridge. This video is of the east expansion joint late Friday night/early Saturday morning. WSDOT Project Inspector Mike Coleman talks about what makes it so challenging.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• WSDOT
• I-90
• floating bridge

[FuriousCoder]

Nice to see the hard work being done. I bike or drive across this bridge almost every day (although I've been bussing it over 520 while the repairs are ongoing), and I'm glad to know it's in good hands. Thanks, WSDOT!

[wsdot]

How did you like the bike path? We went back and forth about whether to install a temp bike path. The local bike clubs were a pretty strong lobby!

WSDOT Jamie

[wsdot]

nanoflux,

Funny you should say that. As I sat out there watching this 65-ton steel joint slide into place, I realized how much flat-out manpower and basic stuff like sledge hammers, chains, 2 by 4's really did the real work. These laborers were amazing and really strong. By the time I finished shooting this video, my heart was pounding.. it was pretty intense out there.

WSDOT Jamie

[wsdot]

Ronandmia,

The bridge itself is in great condition. The problem is the steel used in these expansion joints. It's the steel that's cracking, not the bridge that's failing. We aren't replacing the bridge just these four joints. It's $8.5 million. The cost to replace the entire bridge - u r correct - it would be BILLIONS.

thanks for the comment - WSDOT Jamie

[tpatina]

The only thing Mike missed saying in his introduction is that in addition to having the best designers, WSDOT has the very best inspectors in the world who make sure that everything is built the way their engineers specified.

[bobbbbbable]

Civil engineers and construction managers, what stupid people. Just tear the fuckin bridges down and recycle the material, use it to build homes for the needy. Don't need no fucking bridge.

[bobbbbbable]

No, you're the world's worst designers. You suck because you're Washingtonians.

[ronandmia]

Who's ignorant? Is that all you can say? Tell me about your brilliance in bridge construction. Tell me why 20 year old expansion joints should fail?

[blondexrocker]

You're ignorant, to say the least.

[pskovacs]

Sure do appreciate WDOT posting video of work like this. I think its essential to *show* the public the work being done. Nice too that the video is high-quality.