Steve Bloom/The Olympian
Work continues on the Fourth Avenue bridge project. From left are the Fifth Avenue bridge, the temporary Fourth Avenue bridge, some of the last standing pilings of the earthquake-damaged Fourth Avenue bridge and a temporary bridge for construction workers and equipment.

INSIDE / A2

Mike Salsbury/The Olympian
Workers (at bottom) gather water samples from Budd Inlet to test the effect of the Fourth Avenue bridge project on surrounding water. Above them is the temporary bridge in place for construction workers and equipment.

Detour to the future

It's the largest, most expensive public works project in Olympia's history. Beginning this week, it could make your commute more difficult.

MICHAEL BURNHAM, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Sunday, February 3, 2002

OLYMPIA -- Starting on Tuesday, a new detour will reroute traffic between downtown Olympia and the city's west side.

The detour will completely separate traffic for the Fourth and Fifth Avenue bridges. Westbound users of the Fifth Avenue bridge no longer will be able to merge with users of the temporary Fourth Avenue bridge to proceed up the hill on Harrison Avenue.

Instead, drivers will have to use west Fourth Avenue and Perry Street as the connection between Harrison Avenue and the Fifth Avenue bridge.

Directional signs will be posted along the route.

The detour will last between nine months and a year and will allow construction workers to complete demolition of the old Fourth Avenue bridge and build a retaining wall along a steep, waterfront slope northwest of the construction area.

"We know that this is quite a change, and it is going to be difficult at first," said bridge project manager Tom Frare. "We believe that traffic will still flow smoothly through the corridor."

What's changing

A bicycle lane that heads west along Fifth Avenue will end at the base of the Fourth Avenue hill. At that point, cyclists are urged to merge with automobile traffic or travel west on the roadway's sidewalk.

Partial roadblocks will be placed where Harrison intersects Plymouth, Rogers, Percival and Foote streets to prevent drivers headed down the hill from cutting across those streets to get on the Fifth Avenue bridge. The nearby predominantly residential blocks will be closed to through traffic.

Pedestrians headed north from the detour route toward Garfield Elementary School will have a little extra help navigating the new traffic pattern.

Two Garfield Elementary School crossing guards have been stationed at the intersection of Perry Street and Harrison Avenue each weekday morning and afternoon.

An additional pair of crossing guards will be stationed at the Fourth Avenue and Perry Street intersection during the detour.

"Because of the additional traffic, we wanted to make crossing safer for the students," said Garfield Principal Bruce Walton.

Effects on transit

The detour also will affect bus routes.

Intercity Transit's Route 45 operates Monday through Saturday along a route connecting the downtown transit center, Westfield Shoppingtown Capital mall and the Capital Medical Center.

Beginning on Monday, it will use Fourth Avenue instead of Fifth Avenue to reach Harrison Avenue. When heading east toward downtown, the bus will use Fourth Avenue and turn left on Columbia Street to reach the Olympia Transit Center.

The detour will eliminate three bus stops: Fifth Avenue at Sylvester Street, Fifth Avenue at Yashiro Street and Fifth Avenue at Simmons Street.

Riders will be able to catch Route 45 at replacement stops that include Fourth Avenue at Simmons Street and Fourth Avenue at Yashiro Street. Bus arrival times will not change.

Six IT routes serve the west side. Except for unexpected delays, all west-side routes will maintain their existing schedules during bridge construction, said IT spokeswoman Meg Kester.

Construction crews from the Hamilton Construction Co. of Springfield, Ore., began demolishing the 81-year-old Fourth Avenue bridge in November.

A new bridge, which will have three vehicle and two bicycle lanes, could be open for use by spring 2004.

The bridge will have sidewalks with semicircular viewpoints for pedestrians to use.

Michael Burnham covers Olympia for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-704-6869.

To learn more

For more information about the traffic detour caused by Fourth Avenue bridge construction, call bridge project manager Tom Frare at 360-507-6297 or go online to www.olybridge.com.

Project schedule

- Tuesday: Fourth Avenue bridge detour begins.

- March: Removal of the old Fourth Avenue bridge completed.

- November: Paving of Fourth Avenue bridge completed.

- January 2003: Detour ends; construction of Olympic Way completed.

- October 2003: New Fourth Avenue bridge open to pedestrians.

- March 2004: New Fourth Avenue bridge completed and temporary bridge removed. Paving and widening of Fifth Avenue completed.

- July 2004: Corridor project completed.

- Step by step: See how the Fourth Avenue bridge is being replaced.

- Labor: Carpenters raise concerns over hiring and environmental issues on nonunion job.

- Who's who: Find out who the main players are on the bridge replacement project.

Go to www.theolympian.com for expanded coverage of the Fourth Avenue bridge project, including project history, construction updates and live pictures from the construction site.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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