It has now been two months since Bruch and Bruch, the contractors hired by Clallam County shut-down the Ward bridge across the Dungeness River at Woodcock road and began the pillar or pier restoration of the old wooden bridge originally built in 1934 and rebuilt again in 1977.
The in-water work started July 15th and had to be completed by the 15th of August. The contractor completed the in-water portion of the project on August 10th …. with five days to spare!
A walking trail is being installed on both sides of the river for easier access by the public to the river. A large area owned by Clallam County at the intersection of Ward and Woodcock roads is being filled, graded, and will enlarge parking along the bridge for those who want to cool off in the river on those hot summer days.
Next week the grinding of the entire bridge deck, the forming of the eastern concrete approach, and the eventual paving of the entire bridge will bring this bridge back to its original condition and will be good for another 40 or 50 years. Hopefully by early October the bridge will once again be open to traffic.
Below are some of the images shot while documenting this bridge repair.
All the work areas had to be swept for fish prior to the repair on each pier. Over 500 young salmon, trout, lampreys, and bullheads were removed or herded from the work areas to safety along the river bank.
