Viaduct reopens early (as usual)

As usually happens during the weekend closures, The Viaduct has reopened earlier than expected — the state Transportation Department says it was back in business as of about 3 pm. Inspection results are due out later this week; some repair and maintenance work was done during the weekend downtime, shown here as listed by WSDOT:

*Smoothing out the roadway surface on the Columbia Street on-ramp
*Searching for and removing loose concrete on the viaduct
*Repairing expansion joints and damaged bridge rails
*Applying a protective covering to exposed rebar
*Servicing drainage systems and traffic cameras
*Washing the walls of the Battery Street Tunnel, and inspecting the lighting, fire suppression and ventilation systems

WSB contributing photojournalist Matt Durham went on the public walking tour of The Viaduct during the closure and sent these photos, explaining the lower one as “simple technology measuring the movement of The Viaduct’s joints and cracks with a sliding rule attached across two points of contact”:

mattviaduct.jpg

(Prints of Matt’s WSB photos and his other work are available through his site, MattDurhamPhotography.com.)

4 Replies to "Viaduct reopens early (as usual)"

  • Admiral Janeway March 23, 2008 (6:42 pm)

    It looks like they re-striped the lanes too.

  • Rhonda Porter March 23, 2008 (8:35 pm)

    It was a mess this morning…everyone trying to get “somewhere” for Easter Brunch.

  • westseattleite March 24, 2008 (9:17 am)

    I really do hope the people deciding on the future of the viaduct take notice of the traffic problems that occur when the viaduct is closed. Saturday the bridge was so backed up I had to turn around and forget about getting out of town.

  • JM March 24, 2008 (1:23 pm)

    “Servicing drainage systems and traffic cameras”?

    What traffic cameras? I’ve been asking the city for years to install at least one traffic camera on the viaduct and have had zero response. West Seattleites are completely blind as to traffic on the viaduct when planning trips.

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