Divers make emergency repairs on 520 bridge
Mar 12, 2012, 6:32 AM | Updated: 8:46 am
Divers completed emergency repairs on the 520 bridge over the weekend. (AP Photo/file)
(AP Photo/file)
Emergency repairs were conducted on some of the 58 cables anchoring the Highway 520 floating bridge in Lake Washington, after divers discovered corrosion.
Washington State Department of Transportation spokesperson Andrew Richardson said they found a few more fixes needed Thursday morning while inspecting the corroded cables.
“The divers, after they repaired the first connection, went and checked three other connections that are similar to the damaged one that they replaced on Friday and they actually found a second damaged component. We got divers back in the water again and replaced that piece.”
Coincidentally, the bridge was closed over the weekend while workers removed an overpass on the east side, as part of the work to replace the 49-year-old bridge.
WSDOT says the bridge is safe, but the corrosion to an anchor plate and pin could cause the cable to fail in a windstorm.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
