



U.S. 2 trestle work starts this week

Prepare for weekday, weekend closures during nighttime



SNOHOMISH — U.S. 2 trestle drivers will have a smoother ride over the bridge by autumn, but the cost will be some spring and summer shutdowns.

Contractors will repave the busy 3-mile westbound span from Bickford Avenue to the I-5 interchange, including the Hewitt Avenue trestle. Crews will also resurface the 1.75-mile eastbound stretch from the U.S. 2/state Route 204 interchange to Bickford Avenue.

Work will likely finish in August.

Overnight lane reductions began this week and will run Monday through Thursday nights for at least the next three weeks. The lanes reopen every morning by 4 a.m.

There will be six weekend closures including two closures that will require lengthy detours. The closures currently are scheduled for the weekends of May 18 – May 20, June 1 – June 3, June 22 – June 24, June 29 – July 1, July 13 – July 15, and July 20 – July 22.

Weekend shutdowns will last from 7 p.m. on Friday night and reopen by 4 a.m. Monday morning.

Memorial Day weekend will not be affected. Planners will also avoid high traffic weekends such as the Strawberry Festival, Aquafest and Kla Ha Ya Days.

During the first four full shutdowns will require drivers to use 20th Street SE parallel to U.S. 2 as a westbound detour. During the two final weekend shutdowns, crews will be blocking the ramp from 20th Street SE and drivers will be directed to state Route 9.

WSDOT project engineer Mark Sawyer glibly warned the Snohomish City Council in April that it will be a “mean and nasty summer” until the work is finished.

The reason for the repave is simple.

“The pavement is shot,” Sawyer told the City Council at its April 3 meeting by way of explanation, though little was needed. The road hasn’t been repaved since 2002.

What drivers may not know is just how many problems lie under the road’s surface.

Sawyer told the council he was cautioned to expect problems based on a 2002 inspection. WSDOT has ordered extra materials and will have them onsite to accommodate for additional repairs, agency spokeswoman Frances Fedoriska said.

Crews will be scraping off the old asphalt, examining the roadway and applying a waterproof membrane before repaving. The membrane will guard against salt damage. Sawyer expects some concrete replacement will also be necessary, and the weekend closures will provide the necessary time to make the fixes.

Sawyer noted that the work was weather dependent and bridge paving was more difficult than regular roadways.

Engineers need 50-degree temperatures and bridges don’t hold heat well, Sawyer said. The process of beating asphalt down is also a problem on bridges.

Sawyer said he expected 15 to 20 years of life from the repave, with a best possible scenario of 25 years.

Lakeside Industries of Monroe will conduct the work.

Updates will be available at www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/US2/i5tobickford

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