Hood Canal Bridge closure clock gets ticking

KITSAP NEWS SOURCES

SHINE — It is time for Hood Canal Bridge drivers to choose their May-June 2009 bridge closure “get around” option.

Numbers started whirling Monday, showing the countdown to the May-June 2009 closure when the Washington State Department of Transportation and contractor Kiewit-General installed an electronic countdown clock along SR 104 on the Kitsap County side of the bridge.

As the sign said, in 150 days, 8 hours, 6 minutes and 33 seconds, the way people get to and from the Olympic Peninsula will change for approximately six weeks. Travel options during the closure include crossing Hood Canal by using a water shuttle, transit connections and park and rides, driving around, taking a nearby car ferry or flying from Port Angeles.

“This sign is a great visual reminder to help drivers get ready for the closure,” said Paula Hammond, Secretary of Transportation. “We have worked with local citizens, Jefferson, Kitsap and Clallam counties and local transit agencies to develop travel options during the upcoming closure.”

WSDOT will reset the clock on May 1, 2009 and start its official six-week closure countdown, providing drivers a look at when they can cross the Hood Canal Bridge again.

The Hood Canal Bridge Project is on schedule and currently 86 percent complete. The Hood Canal Bridge retrofit and replacement project will improve the existing structure, making it wider, safer and more reliable. For more information, visit www.HoodCanalBridge.com.