Patton Bridge No. 3015 Repairs

Status update

Tuesday, March 30, 2021

UPDATE

Patton Bridge opened to traffic Tuesday morning, March 30, following a several day closure for concrete pouring and curing work.

Access hole on Patton Bridge. — One of the access holes on Patton Bridge.

The closure scheduled for April 9 has been delayed due to procurement issues. At this time, there is no scheduled closure date. The most current closure dates and information are always available on MyCommute and here, on the project website.

Project location

The project is on SE Green Valley Road located over the Green River, about 1.5 miles southeast of the intersection of SE Auburn-Black Diamond Road and can be reached from State Route 18 by exiting onto SE Auburn Black Diamond Road and traveling east to SE Green Valley Road.

Detour map

Contact us

Broch Bender, Roads Communications Manager
Desk 206-263-1189
Email

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Project overview

The 70-year old Patton Bridge No. 3015 on SE Green Valley Road southeast of Auburn spans the Green River and is one of a handful of roads connecting SR 18 in an easterly direction to SR 169. It serves several residences in the rural, farming area and is the only bridge over the Green River on SE Green Valley Road.

The bridge has been repaired several times in the past 70 years and is due for another round of structural repairs to keep the bridge in good working order. If the 430-foot bridge were to fail, easy access to hundreds of residents, local businesses and farms would be cut off. Alternate routes would add approximately 15- to 20 minutes to a typical trip. More than 2500 vehicles cross this bridge every day.

The King County Road Services Division will install new steel and concrete reinforcements under and inside the bridge. To do this, they might close one lane for construction operations. Toward the end of the project, they will close the entire bridge to all vehicles for up to seven days to pour and cure the new concrete reinforcement.

Why King County is repairing this bridge

Inspections found deteriorating concrete in the support structure at the ends of the center span. There are currently weight limits on this bridge. Weight limits will remain in place when the work is complete.

Project schedule

Contractors will be at the bridge site starting mid-February. They will completely close the bridge during the day for two days to set up the construction site.

During the first phase of construction, one lane of vehicle traffic as well as all bicycle and pedestrian traffic will be maintained most of the time. Delays will be minimal. Boating traffic under the bridge will not be affected.

Toward the middle of construction, the contractor will close the bridge around-the-clock twice to pour new concrete reinforcements and let it cure. The first around-the-clock closure will last four days, the second full around-the-clock closure will last two days. Toward the end of construction, there is one more last daytime bridge closure to remove all scaffolding. No traffic will be allowed on the bridge during the full, around-the-clock closures. Drivers must use the signed detour along SE Auburn Black-Diamond Road and 218th Avenue SE when the bridge is closed to vehicle traffic.

We anticipate all construction to be compete by 5 p.m. Friday, April 9.

Project budget and timeline

The estimated construction budget is $450,000.

The work is scheduled to begin mid-February at the earliest with full bridge closures tentatively mid-March though it is weather-dependent. King County will post signs at the bridge site about two weeks prior to the actual full closure.

Project detour

All trucks, including local delivery trucks, are strongly advised against using Lake Holm Road at Auburn-Black Diamond Road. This is a narrow and windy road. Truck drivers unfamiliar with this area have been known to get stuck and are unable to back down or move forward. Use Auburn-Black Diamond Road and turn right on 148th Avenue SE.

detourmap

Frequently-asked questions

1. Will the bridge remain open during construction?

The bridge has two travel lanes. During most of construction, the contractor will keep one lane open to traffic at all times. The bridge will be closed for one or two days at the start and again end of construction to allow crews to move heavy equipment on and off the bridge. In addition, in the middle of construction, the contractor will close the entire bridge to all traffic around-the-clock twice in March: four days (March 17-20) and then two days (March 25-26).

2. Will fire trucks and ambulances be able to use the bridge during construction?

Emergency vehicles will be allowed to use the bridge when it is open to general traffic. However, fire trucks, ambulances and all vehicle traffic will be prohibited from using the bridge during planned full closures. We are coordinating closely with Mountain View Fire and Rescue to ensure emergency response coverage on both sides of the bridge.

3. Will construction affect boat or raft (float) traffic?

No. The contractor will not be allowed to use the waterway for construction access. All work will be conducted from the bridge using platforms or scaffoldings suspended from bridge deck.

4. Will the existing bridge load posting be removed after the repairs?

No. This project will repair the support structure but will not increase the load capacity.

5. Is detour available once bridge is closed to all vehicles?

Yes. Detour is available from SE Auburn Black Diamond Road and 218th Ave SE. Detour signs will be in-place at various locations around the project site. This detour will add up to 15-20 minutes to the trip.

Bridge history

This bridge was built in 1950 and was considered innovative at the time based on the variation of the box girder design.

It was designed by Washington State Consulting Engineer Homer Hadley who later designed the I-90 floating bridge. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

Location map