Harvard Road Bridge Ready To Open Next Week

The new four-lane Harvard Road Bridge will open for traffic next week.

The bridge’s very first car could cross as early as Wednesday or as late as Friday, depending upon the progress of construction this weekend, said Ross Kelley, county project management engineer.

The county will demolish the old Harvard Road Bridge, built in 1955, over a three-week period.

Demolition will begin around Aug. 25.

The new bridge offers four vehicle lanes, two bicycle lanes and full-size elevated sidewalk. The old bridge had just two lanes bordered by narrow sidewalks.

Construction on the $3.75 million project began last summer, and included widening Harvard Road to four lanes where it meets the bridge on each side.

By the end of September, the Centennial Trail will be rerouted to pass under the bridge. Currently, trail users must cross over Harvard Road.

The old bridge has remained open during construction. It is located just 20 feet west of the new bridge.

The old bridge failed in 1992 and required extensive repairs. The county will demolish it, span by span, using a demolition hammer and a “headache ball” attached to a crane.

The equipment will pound at the bridge until it comes down. Debris will fall into a blanket of “geosynthetic” fabric, which will cover the river. “It’s a process that has to be done carefully,” said Neil Carroll, a county bridge engineer.

To minimize environmental impact, the county is waiting for river flow levels to drop. During the demolition, it will have to avoid disturbing Washington Water Power transmission lines, located close to the bridge.

Those lines service all of the Liberty Lake area, Carroll said.

, DataTimes