Klineline Bridge closed; new bridge to open in April 2009

[Chief]

http://www.dailyinsider.info/today.html

Klineline Bridge crossing Salmon Creek on Highway 99 is being closed permanently, Clark County officials said today.

Construction on a replacement bridge is expected to begin next April, with completion expected in about 12 months.

Local traffic for businesses on both sides of the bridge remains open. An alternative route crossing Salmon Creek is Interstate 5.

After being closed twice in 2006, the bridge was reopened by county crews after emergency repairs. Those repairs have begun failing, according to officials. A previous bridge crossing Salmon Creek at that location collapsed half a century ago.

[Waterbuffalo]

I heard from Kpam that the County is going to start to replace that bridge in April?

[karma]

This is part of the neglected items that the county has known about for sometime and selected to work on personal agenda projects instead of fixing the serious items, now we will see a two year cut off of an area that was truely needed to help with transportation needs. It will be interesting how they will work around the utilities in this area if that bridge should fall??

Folks if you decide to travel through the Felida area to get across the Salmon Creek area, remember that bridge when we are in flood mode is really
low to the ground and flooding does happen and washes out bridges?? :D

[Chief]

Think this is bad??

Why do you suppose Hazel Dell is last on the City of Vancouver's annexation list?? I think it's because there are more potential expensive projects pending in HD that would make replacing the Klineline bridge look trivial by comparison.

[karma]

Not only the neglect but the now redevelopment is going to pull them under?? There is a reason that C-tran was dumped there? :D

[Chief]

Next time you drive down the strip in Hazel Dell, turn off on any one of those side streets, drive for a half mile or so, and catalog all of the problems you see that have gone unaddressed for years...

[karma]

Chief, I don't have to waste the gas and can tell you know that that list is only being neglected even more with the guise of redevelopment.
Just look at the corner of NW 78 and Hazel Dell Ave, no stormwater silt fencing? More can be added but ya know whom is a head of the redevelopment committee?

[Waterbuffalo]

Chief, is Hazel Dell getting to be readied for a fire sale?

I have gone around the Highway 99 area and have to agree with karma and you. That whole area has been neglected far too long.

[Chief]

Which is one reason why the City isn't in any big hurry to annex Hazel Dell. Orchards used to be in worse shape until the County came through with SR-500, Gher Road, Padden Parkway and such. That's one reason why Orchards is high on the City's list for annexation.

Another factor is that Orchards has a fair amount of undeveloped land that the City could target for development other than just new houses...something that Hazel Dell is seriously lacking...

Complex subject...

[Waterbuffalo]

Also take a look at the land along Minnehaha and Saint Johns Road West of I-205.. That sure looks like Juicy land too..

[Chief]

Have we determined where the funding is coming from for this replacement bridge??

[Waterbuffalo]

Nope.. Not sure where its coming from.. Would love to know.

[karma]

Try the transportation fund?? I'm sure the Clark County Public Works dept. would love to answer this?? I'm betting there is also State funds due to this is a highway but I believe I remember it's County owned?? It's been a while since I did transportation committees and I believe it's was an issue back then??

[Waterbuffalo]

There probably is a fund some where at the County level or the County has identified some funding for it. Now it all depends on when and how its going to be done.

[Chief]

I think it's likely that several funds are being tapped to finance this.

Again, let's keep in mind that the replacement bridge was in advanced planning already, the County just ran out of time and had to close the old one before they planned. A replacement bridge would have required closing 99 eventually. I'll be interested to see the details of the financing plan none the less. I'd like to think that some of the gasoline taxes we are already paying is covering a large share of this...

[Waterbuffalo]

Why do my head smarts thinking the state in some form is covering this bridge?

[karma]

I'm not going to do anymore leg work????

http://www.co.clark.wa.us/public-works/engineering/roads/klineline.html

It's been in the works for sometime now, just ready whom is on the committee?? :-X

[Waterbuffalo]

From Karma's link..

"Klineline Bridge, also known as Salmon Creek Bridge, on Highway 99 is not what it used to be when originally constructed in 1928. The bridge has a history of requiring extensive repairs after flood events. This includes rebuilding the bridge after a partial collapse in the mid 50's. Portions of the structure are 80 years old. The structure is showing significant deterioration, which required Clark County to lower weight load limits on the span, conduct emergency repairs in October 2006, and ultimately close the bridge in December 2007 as unsafe for public use. Erosion of the creek banks in Salmon Creek continue to threaten the stability of the bridge footings, especially the north side where the banks are quite steep. Klineline Bridge is a vital part of the transportation infrastructure on Highway 99. Therefore county and state transportation officials have selected the bridge for complete replacement. This ranks as the best and most cost-effective solution to address on-going deterioration and loss of structural integrity."

[karma]

Buff, to further this on Tuesday they Clark County Commissioners plan to approve a $160,000 contract with Kramer Gehlen and Assoc. Ind for engineering related to replacing the Klineline Bridge at Highway 99. It's about time something is done as this bridge has been unsafe for years.
The county has history of neglect on their bridges until the only thing they can do is replace them, why?? Here they give the Land Trust $300,000 so it can purchase land, let me assume this is coming out of the general funds as I'm sure it's not from park funds?? How many years and to what tune has the Transportation Funds been diverted for other than transportation needs?

[Chief]

Karma, do you have a link to that?? The engineering they are talking about could be what's been done to date, or it could be for on-site engineering and survey work for the replacement as well...

Need some more details, please...

[Waterbuffalo]

Couldn't that be found at that link Chief?

[karma]

http://www.co.clark.wa.us/bocc/hearings/hearings.html
Click on the 'Consent Agenda' I believe it's around #8 on the list but check
out the rest of the list too??

[Chief]

Not much detail...

8. Request from Engineering/Design for authorization for Deputy Director of Public
Works to sign Supplemental Agreement No. 2 in the amount of $159,213.80 with
Kramer Gehlen & Associates, Inc. for engineering services related to the Klineline
Bridge Replacement Project Capital Road Project (CRP 341322) and extend the
completion date to 12/31/09.

[karma]

Consent Agendas there isn't much unless a person requests more information or has it pulled for discussion?? I haven't watched this but wonder if this went out for bid??

[Waterbuffalo]

Its aparrent now that this link is going to have to be fixed. instead of left-shifting..

[karma]

My bet is this will not solve the problem and we will be back to redoing this bridge in the future. Whom was the smart engineer the last time that put the footings in the water??? Oh no more history Buff is going to hate hearing!

[Chief]

Karma, I'm calling BS on that comment. I have seen nothing to suggest that the replacement bridge will be anything but the best money can buy, so unless you have something concrete to offer to the contrary, I suggest you drop that particular line of thought....

Please.

[karma]

Chief, you should know me better than that!! This bridge was put in harms way by the County's own doing. One needs to know the history of such events to move forward and not repeat the stupidy of the past.

[Chief]

I still have no idea what you're talking about, and I'm not going to guess about the "history" that you are referring to.

[Waterbuffalo]

Chief, I have to remind myself that Karma has her own set of memories of City and County government over the past 30 years that I don't have..

So I am not sure where she's going with these comments of hers..