Work on Long Bridge begins next month
A two-year project on the U.S. Highway 95 Long Bridge and its companion pedestrian bridge is slated to get underway next month.
(Photo courtesy IDAHO TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT)
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SANDPOINT — Work to repair the U.S. Highway 95 Long Bridge and its companion pedestrian bridge are slated to start next month, according to the Idaho Transportation Department.
Both projects are meant to extend the service life of the spans. The $9.7 million project is scheduled to last two years.
The work is expected to impact use of both bridges, ITD spokeswoman Megan Jahns said. However, a pre-construction meeting is pending, which will outline a final schedule and description of impacts.
The lead contractor, McMillen Jacobs Associates, said the work will affect both bridges and is asking the public to be considerate of construction zones.
Expansion joints on the vehicle bridge, which helps the structure adjust to changing temperatures, will be replaced. Supporting structure beneath the bridge deck will also be repaired.
A special coating will be applied to the bridge's guardrail, ITD said.
Navigation lights beneath both bridges will be replaced with more energy-efficient lamps that will require less maintenance.
On the pedestrian bridge, built in 1956, portions of the walking surface will be replaced and joints connecting different sections of the bridge will be replaced with ones that are flush with bridge deck, making them easier to transverse on foot.
A retaining wall for the bike and pedestrian path the the south end of the bridge is also scheduled for repair. The wall was damaged by wave action in 2020, ITD said.
The state spent $2 million in 2016 to re-seal the deck of the vehicle bridge and repair supporting structures. The upcoming repairs are the result of a 2018 study that identified maintenance items to be addressed to allow both structures to reach 100 years in service, according to ITD.
Additional repairs to the Long Bridge are planned before both spans are ultimately replaced, ITD said. However, replacement of the bridges remain unscheduled, the state said.
Keith Kinnaird can be reached at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and followed on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.