PI bridge work starts Friday with relocation of osprey nest
Open house to explain the project set for March 21 at the Norse Hall
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March 8, 2018
Rick Nelson
Ospreys have nested on the Puget Island bridge for years. Starting Friday, a contractor will move the nest to a new structure on the concrete portion of the bridge so that painting and, later, deck replacement work can start before the birds return to raise their young.
Preservation work on the State Route 409 Puget Island Bridge is just around the corner, with work to relocate the osprey nest starting this Friday, and an open house planned for later this month.
Rick Nelson
Traffic on the Puget Island bridge will be reduced to one lane at times as work starts to paint the bridge and replace decking on the steel portion of the bridge.
Big C Industries, a Longview based subcontractor, will install a beam topped by a platform on the concrete portion of the bridge to become a new location for the nest that has capped the bridge for years.
The general contractor, Royal Bridge, has said the work needs to be done by March 15. Painters will arrive in April, and the nest has to be moved before the osprey return from migration and begin laying eggs.
During the relocation, traffic on both directions of the highway will alternate through a single-lane of the bridge. The work is weather dependent.
Work is expected to occur 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both Friday this week and Monday through Thursday next week.
The contractor invites the public to participate to name the birds. They're also sponsoring a coloring contest based on a book they've printed; copies are available at The Eagle and town library.
See a letter to the editor on Page 2 outlining their plans.
On March 21, the Wash
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