Have you seen how the fresh coat of blue and orange really pop?! Many Fremonsters (and our friends living just across the bridge in Queen Anne) may not have realized how badly the Fremont Bridge needed a fresh coat of paint until painting on the top part of the north span, shown above, was completed in late 2014. The project began in August 2014 and additional details on the project can be found in our original post “Fremont Bridge Lane Closure for Facelift.”
Fremont Universe checked in with Art Brochet, the SDOT Communications Lead about the ongoing project, he reported back:
The completed North span of the bridge.The painters have completed work on the northern span and are currently stringing cables and placing scaffolding beneath the southern span to provide environmental containment for the preparation and painting of the steel in the coming months.
They’re over halfway there! There will still be several upcoming closures, although not as extensive as the weekday closures last September. Mr. Brochet provided an update on the current status of the work:
The painters are currently stringing cables and placing scaffolding beneath the southern span. This is to support the environmental containment needed before grinding and blasting rust off the steel below the bridge deck. The familiar enclosure of scaffolding and plastic will be in place soon, for preparation, priming and painting of the southern span over the coming months.
With regards to traffic:
At times crews will need to close the walkway and bike lane on one side of the bridge or the other (but never both) during off-peak hours. Vehicle lanes will also be closed (less frequently) when necessary, again during off-peak hours: before 3PM in the northbound direction and just between 10AM and 3PM in the southbound direction.
There will be pair of full bridge closures in the wee hours this weekend and next so crews can access the area underneath and behind the counter-weight for the southern span.
While the project has been delayed due to bad weather and a break over the holidays the project is “more than half complete” according to Mr. Brochet. Work on the bridge will continue into March and potentially into April depending on weather-related delays.
Schedule for the upcoming weekend closures:
January 10th (aka late Friday night) from Midnight until 7AM
January 11th (aka late Saturday night) from Midnight until 7AM
January 17th (aka late Friday night) from Midnight until 7AM
January 18th (aka late Saturday night) from Midnight until 7AM
Pedestrians and cyclists will be able to cross at 1:20AM and 2:20AM each night but cars will be detoured for the entire time between Midnight and 7AM.
Fun Fremont Fact: The blue and orange paint job was chosen by a 1985 poll by Fremont residents and facilitated by the Fremont Arts Council.
If you are interested in more information about the project, please check out the project website http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bridgepainting_current.htm for additional details.