Summer closures on Deception Pass Bridge could mean delays
May 25, 2015, 9:42 PM | Updated: May 26, 2015, 6:01 am
(Photo courtesy of Washington State Department of Transportation)
For the first time in nearly 20 years, Highway 20 is getting a fresh coat of asphalt. But it could mean delays for people trying to cross the Deception Pass Bridge to Whidbey Island.
The Deception Pass Bridge is a link to popular Northwest recreation. The highway carries about 20,000 vehicles per day.
The work will begin in June, according to Tom Pearce, spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Transportation.
Paving of the Deception Pass Bridge and Canoe Bridge will begin mid-July at the earliest.
There will be five nights of full closures on the bridges — between 7:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., Sunday night through Friday morning. No vehicles will be allowed on the bridges during those times, which could mean delays during late-night and early-morning commutes.
There is no date on the bridge closures yet. That work is weather-dependent, according to Pearce.
The rest of the highway paving will require single-lane closures, 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., Sunday nights through Friday mornings.
Good news for weekend warriors; there will be no construction work done Friday afternoons through Saturday nights, Pearce said.
“Once we finish the work, roads will be smoother and roads will be maintained for longer in the future,” Pearce said.