Mike Salsbury/The Olympian
Mark Hough helps set up barriers for the Fourth Avenue bridge project detour Monday afternoon. Cars traveling on Fifth Avenue will be diverted onto Fourth Avenue (right) while cars crossing the temporary Fourth Avenue bridge will continue onto Olympic Way and Harrison Avenue (left).

Bridge detour starts a day early

CHESTER ALLEN, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Tuesday, February 5, 2002

OLYMPIA -- Commuters beware!

The Fourth Avenue bridge detour has begun.

Monday's dry weather gave crews the best conditions to paint new stripes on the detour routes, so it made sense to start the detour early, said Tom Frare, Fourth Avenue bridge project manager. The detour had been scheduled to begin later today.

"We don't get many dry days this time of year, so we have to take advantage of it," Frare said.

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

Instead, Fifth Avenue bridge drivers will have to use West Fourth Avenue to the top of the hill and take Perry Street to reach Harrison Avenue. Directional signs will be posted along the route.

The detour will last nine months to 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.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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