Vantage Bridge to drop to single lanes in each direction
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 4 months AGO
A multi-year project to resurface and repair the Vantage Bridge over the Columbia River is underway and is expected to cause traffic delays periodically as traffic is routed to different lanes to allow crews to work on the structure.
R. HANS MILLER/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | November 18, 2024 12:50 AM
VANTAGE — Drivers should be prepared for single-lane traffic across the Vantage Bridge through Nov. 22. Crews are working on patching the bridge deck and making repairs to the guardrails, according to a press release from the Washington Department of Transportation.
Traffic across the bridge which allows Interstate 90 travelers to cross the Columbia River will be restricted to one lane in each direction and vehicles will be subject to a 10-foot width restriction. The lane closures will be in effect through 6 p.m. Friday.
The bridge was subject to single lanes throughout the summer and fall as crews completed the first phase of a project to replace the bridge deck and repair its support piers. According to a WSDOT press release, the bridge repairs are about 25% complete; originally scheduled for completion in 2027, the project will continue through 2028.
Over the summer, construction crews completed about 80% of the repairs on the bridge support piers, the press release said. Crews built a platform the length of the bridge to allow work from underneath and replaced 60 concrete panels.
Crews will be replacing the entire bridge deck over the next three construction seasons, removing existing sections, replacing them with new precast panels and pouring concrete to create a smooth surface. The project also includes drainage improvements.
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