SHINE – The old east half of the Hood Canal Bridge is gone; now crews are escorting in the new east half.

“Up to now, we’ve been focused on disconnecting and floating out the old parts,” said Dave Ziegler, principal engineer for the Hood Canal Bridge project, in a Department of Transportation press release. “We’re looking forward to reassembling the bridge with the new and improved pieces.”

The bridge closed May 1 for a six-week project that replaces the east half and the trusses at both ends, resulting in a safer, wider, more reliable bridge, the release states.

Tugs pulled out of Hood Canal just prior to noon Monday with the last piece of the old east-half in tow. The 770-foot roadway section will be replaced early this morning with a 943-foot-long pontoon section that is currently moored in Port Gamble Bay.

See the latest project photos at Flickr, read about construction updates on the Hood Canal Bridge blog or get more information at www.HoodCanalBridge.com.