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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 20, 2006 Depot Street Bridge transition stage near By SANNE SPECHT Mail Tribune ROGUE RIVER — Drivers soon will traverse the old Depot Street Bridge for the last time as traffic is diverted onto the new $14 million bridge. "I’m hoping it’s going to happen on Friday," said Ross Brothers Construction Manager Jeff Howell. "But I’m not guaranteeing it." The 550-ton, 300-foot-long new bridge is 25 feet upstream from its permanent location above the Rogue River. But flaggers will begin directing traffic across two lanes on the new bridge as early as Friday afternoon. Construction crews need traffic off the 50-year-old green steel truss bridge so they can tear it down and finish the new one, said Jackson County engineer Mike Kuntz. Motorists will have a single lane for each direction across the new bridge, said Kuntz. But the geometry is tight at the Interstate 5 southbound on- and off-ramps, where drivers will need to navigate sharp "S" curves, said Kuntz. Advertisement Although the new bridge is not yet permanently located, Kuntz said there is no need for drivers to be concerned about traversing its span. "The bridge, in its temporary location, structurally meets all standards for safety in both the bridge itself and its approaches," says Kuntz. David Evans and Associates designed the new bridge adjacent to the old one to avoid almost three years of construction detours. But the tight quarters have hampered work crews, said Kuntz. For example, sidewalks on the downstream side of the bridge cannot be completed until the little bridge is removed. "There simply isn’t enough space between the two bridges," Kuntz said. In July 2005, orchestrating exact anchoring for the tied-arch bridge’s many cables created headaches for engineers and contractors. The cables must be precisely aligned from the top of the bridge’s high arches down to its deck. "It’s sort of like stringing a guitar," said Howell. "Everything has to be exact or it doesn’t work right." After the cables were aligned properly, fears of potential cable corrosion arose later that year. The corrosion concerns created a four-month work stoppage. Fears were allayed in March 2006 when a corrosion expert determined the structural integrity of the tied-arch portion of the bridge was not compromised. External cable corrosion had not spread to the cables’ core, the expert said. Crews treated the three-inch-diameter steel cables with an anti-corrosive agent. They are now completing the tensioning process to allow for the added load of vehicle traffic, Howell said. Wooden construction platforms will be removed from under the new bridge, and crews will start dismantling the historic old bridge. Since no one offered to buy the old bridge, it becomes the property of Ross Brothers, said Kuntz. "We would have probably taken an offer of $1," said Kuntz. "But you would have had to move it. And no one wanted to do that." Mammoet, a Holland-based engineering firm, will be on site to guide the new bridge on its slow slide to its final location with the use of hydraulic jacks. Construction on the new bridge began in May 2003 with completion scheduled for December 2005. Fines of up to $48,000 a month are being assessed against Ross Brothers for the delays since Jan. 1, Kuntz says. "That’s $1,600 per calendar day including weekends and holidays," said Kuntz. Damages could add up to $500,000 by the end of construction expected late this summer, he said. Howell said the delays have been a result of engineering and contractor challenges. "It’s a unique bridge," said Howell. "There will be time added to the project." Howell said Ross Brothers is expecting to negotiate contract changes with the engineers, the Oregon Department of Transportation and Jackson County, which may mitigate the fines. Kuntz agreed. "The end result is this will be negotiated later," said Kuntz. "But at the moment we are assessing them." Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 776-4497 or e-mail Depot Street Bridge transition stage near ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Computer Security Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Email Security Advertisement s Advertisement