Bridge work to toggle to daytime
SANDPOINT — Looks can be deceiving as work progresses on repairs to the Long Bridge on U.S. Highway 95.
Motorists driving across the span over Lake Pend Oreille during daylight hours have largely encountered only orange lane markers and a reduced 35-mph speed limit since work began this summer. That’s because work beneath the bridge is not visible to passing motorists and work on the bridge deck has been done at night to mitigate traffic impacts during the high season in Bonner County.
However, motorists should start seeing construction workers next week as the deck work toggles to daytime mode.
“It’ll all be back to day work, so people will be able to start to see work for a change,” said Robert Cunningham, a project manager for the Idaho Transportation Department’s Panhandle region.
The daytime work is not expected to affect traffic over the bridge, although the speed limit will remain reduced.
Truesdell Corp. and its subcontractors spent the first part of the deck project taking up an older epoxy layer in wheel paths worn into the bridge with a diamond-tipped grinding wheel. The wheel paths were created by wear and tear from traffic, snowplows and studded snow tires.
“We finally got it completed and about the middle of next week we’re going to start the actual epoxy overlay and fill in the wheel paths,” said Cunningham.
Cunningham said the removal of the older epoxy layer took some effort.
“It has a tendency to want to just gum up instead of grind off like normal concrete would,” he said.
The wheel paths will be filled with additional layers of epoxy and rock that ends up being three-eights of an inch thick. The resulting surface will be a smoother ride for motorists and a bridge deck that’s sealed off from salt-based road maintenance measures and more impervious to snowplow blades and snow tires.
“It makes it pretty durable,” said Cunningham.
Beneath the bridge, Associated Underwater Services and other project subcontractors are installing anti-corrosion piling wraps made of petrolatum tape on select bridge bents.
“It’s been a bit of a slow-go here lately because the winds have made the water so choppy and they’re working on floating scaffolds. When the water swells get up they have to cancel,” Cunningham added. It’s too dangerous.”
Work on the bridge deck is expected to last until mid- to late-September, although work beneath the bridge is expected to continue past that date, Cunningham said.