SEATTLE — On Monday a crane lowered the final 60-ton concrete panel into place on the floating bridge deck of the new SR 520 Bridge.
Then workers made sure it fit correctly.
"It's kind of like a Lego jigsaw puzzle in how this comes together," said Greg Meadows, the project's construction manager for the Washington State Department of Transportation.
It was the last of 776 panels pre-cast in Kenmore on the low-rise section of the bridge.
"This milestone is a culmination of so much work over so many years," said Denise Cieri, deputy program administrator for WSDOT.
Cieri said the bridge is expected to open to traffic next April, following an event where people will get a chance to walk across it.
The new bridge will replace the old four-lane bridge that's vulnerable to earthquakes and strong wind.
The new 520 will open nearly a year and a half late, after design problems led to cracked pontoons and added about $200 million to the cost.
When the six-lane bridge opens, westbound drivers will find themselves squeezing into the narrower, existing roadway between Montlake Boulevard and I-5.
But relief will be in sight.
This summer, the Legislature approved $1.6 billion to complete the western section of the 520 corridor, work that could begin as soon as 2017.
The entire 520 project is expected to cost $4.5 billion.
KIRO
