Why traffic will slow on the Aurora Bridge this week
Mar 7, 2016, 10:42 PM | Updated: May 6, 2016, 10:44 pm
Highway 99 Northbound will be down to one lane over the Aurora Bridge Monday night and Tuesday night from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.
This closure from Feb. 7 through the morning of Feb. 9 is part of a multi-year facelift project to clean and paint portions of the Aurora Bridge aka George Washington Memorial Bridge. Crews will also paint and repair the original pedestrian rail and make other repairs where the steel has decayed.
The 85-year-old bridge has been designated a historical landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The bridge was last painted in 1984. The paint is now flaking and peeling away, exposing the steel to the elements which can cause rust and corrosion.
Due to the bridge’s size and height, the work will be done in stages. In each stage, the contractor crew will encase a section of the bridge with a containment system (you’ll see the white plastic) to protect the surrounding areas from exposure to construction activities that will include cleaning, painting, debris and cleanup.
Cleaning and painting the bridge will require crews to work both day and night. Daytime work will mostly be carried out below the bridge deck where drivers won’t be affected. Evening work will require some lane and ramp closures above and below the bridge.
