Travelers journeying across the Columbia River in central Washington are being asked to pack along some patience as crews with Garco Construction continue work on the $79 million rehabilitation project of the Interstate 90 Vantage Bridge.
Washington State Department of Transportation photo
The bridge, built in 1962, last underwent significant repair in 1982. Construction Equipment Guide learned from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) that in recent years the bridge required emergency repairs and lane closures after workers discovered over a "dozen through-deck holes, resulting in over a half a million dollars in repairs."
Work on the steel cantilever bridge, about 2,504 ft. long, began in 2024.
"The brick on the deck was just old and in need of rehabilitation, and we decided that just replacing it would be the most cost-effective and provide the most life out of a new deck," Preston Beckstead, a WSDOT assistant engineer, told Construction Equipment Guide. "There's also some pier repair on concrete that has been cracked, and they're just going to tip that out and put new material in to give that a kind of new life."
The project involves replacing 660 concrete panels, lifted out by a specialized Gantry-type crane created by Garco Construction for the job, Beckstead said.
"They start off by just saw-cutting a chunk out of the deck, 6 ft. by 30 ft. long, and then they use the crane system to lift it out like a puzzle piece," he said. "Once they get a predetermined section removed, then they place back essentially the same thing they just removed, only with precast panels. Next, they pour the seams, so they're all connected together and attached back to the steel. From there, we can move to a new section. Each work section comprises maybe 10 or 15 of those puzzle pieces, and each work section takes two-and-a-half weeks."
Washington State Department of Transportation photo
Because the custom crane system sits low to the ground and lifts each panel only a few feet above the surface, traffic on the four-lane bridge has remained open to two lanes. But managing traffic on the bridge, which sees about 18,000 vehicles daily, remains one of the biggest challenges of the job, Beckstead said.
Vantage Bridge is the only crossing point on the Columbia River in the area and is part of I-90, a critical corridor linking the east to west sides of the state.
"It's located around milepost 136, where Highway 26 intersects with I-90, so there's just a lot of traffic through there, Beckstead said. "The only other way to get across the Columbia River is a pretty out-of-the-way detour in both directions from the north or south."
Depending on the route, those detours can add more than an hour one way. And when the Gorge Amphitheatre – AKA the Gorge at George and considered a premier concert venue in the Pacific Northwest – is hosting a concert, the traffic delays add up significantly.
"We have a smart work zone system set up that is able to detect traffic backups and display that on message boards miles away from the project, in both directions," Beckstead said. "That one was a big item for the traffic on this project. It's a series of message boards with sensors on them and, as traffic slows down and backs up past them, it provides warnings further upstream of potential delays. We don't use many flaggers, but merge traffic using barrels to try to keep everything open and flowing and channelized. Occasionally, we'll do traffic lights on the on ramps during certain events."
Washington State Department of Transportation photo
To date, more than 260 panels of the 660 have been replaced, and 80 percent of the bridge piers are completed.
The estimated completion date is summer 2028. When that happens, the bridge won't only have a new deck but a new name. Legislation sponsored by Rep. Tom Dent, R- Moses Lake, passed last fall, renaming the structure the Medal of Honor Bridge.
"A personal connection to a war hero and Medal of Honor recipient inspired the idea. It is an opportunity to honor those who honored us with their bravery and service in a picturesque setting," Dent said. "The Medal of Honor is the nation's highest military award given ‘For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.' Less than one-tenth of 1 percent of America's service members have been awarded the Medal of Honor, with 34 known recipients accredited from Washington state."
The name is expected to be dedicated in a ceremony following the completion of the rehabilitation project. CEG
