Demolition of Washington Bridge will require different approach.
The completion date for full demolition and removal of the 1930 Manette Bridge will be rescheduled, but the delay won’t affect the scheduled November opening of the new bridge or increase the cost of the project.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced today that the decayed concrete footings of the old bridge will require a different in-water process to ensure containment of the demolition debris.
“The underwater demolition is presenting some challenges and we need to change our approach to removing the footings,” said Steve Roark, assistant region administrator for construction. “The footings are deteriorated to the point where we need to use a method that ensures the demolition debris is contained.”
The initial plan was to use wire saws to cut the underwater footings into 200-ton sections, pick them up with a crane, and barge them to Tacoma. But as crews prepared for the work, concerns surfaced as to whether or not the aging sections would potentially crumble during the removal process.
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