Just as important, the division will open the new Novelty Bridge on Oct. 15, the exact day it promised the Snoqualmie Valley community in March. Roads staff worked with the community for several years to determine the best way to replace the bridge. People said Roads' initial plan for an 18-month construction schedule would take too long because the bridge was one of just two crossings over the Snoqualmie River near Duvall. The old bridge, built in 1920, had load restrictions that permitted only one-way truck traffic, two narrow lanes, no shoulders and an asphalt deck. It was likely to topple into the river during a major earthquake.
Artwork is incorporated into the railings, pylons and paint.
They also made a commitment to the community that the bridge would reopen to traffic Oct. 15. Ongoing support from Councilmember Louise Miller also expedited the project. Lewis said the project team used vision and creativity to turn the standard linear process into a multifaceted one so staff could compress the schedule into seven months. For example, instead of the typical tactic of working on one side of the river at a time, the plan called for working on both sides at once. The team also made sure potential problems never occurred.