Riverfront bridge repairs under way
Pedestrians in Spokane’s Riverfront Park may find their paths blocked over the next few months due to park construction, and the Red Wagon sculpture is off-limits temporarily for the same reason.
The Spokane Parks Department has hired Dardan Enterprises of Post Falls to replace wooden decking on three pedestrian bridges crossing the Spokane River in the park.
Work started last week on the footbridge connecting the INB Performing Arts Center with the Lilac Bowl. The two other bridges that will get new decks are the ones running between the Carrousel to the Clocktower and from the Forestry Shelter to the north bank of the river near the Red Lion Hotel at the Park.
Park workers have marked a detour pathway to help pedestrians and bike riders find their way across the river during construction. The detour is wheelchair accessible and has a relatively gentle grade, said parks spokeswoman Nancy Goodspeed.
Left over from Expo ‘74, the three bridges were never intended for years of use. Wooden decking has continually loosened with age, causing park maintenance workers to use larger and larger fastening bolts to keep the planks from jiggling. The wooden decking itself is worn from weather and traffic with some of the large planks showing signs of surface rot.
The construction portion of the project at $389,000 had been put off for several years and is being paid through leftover funds from a 1999 voter-approved bond issue.
Steve Miller, superintendent for Dardan, said his company agreed to complete the work on all three bridges by early May.
“They want it to be done by Bloomsday, but I’m going to push it,” Miller said, predicting an earlier finish. The city’s annual Bloomsday run is on May 4.
“It’ll be a fun project,” he said.
The steel superstructure of the three bridges is in good shape. The wooden runners and decking will all be replaced. In addition, the wooden railings that are now 42 inches tall will be replaced with new wooden railings that are 54 inches high to enhance the safety of the bridges, Miller said. In addition, lighting repairs are expected for the bridge adjacent to the Red Lion.
City parks officials previously had hoped to replace the wooden decks with concrete ones, but the structural components of the bridge were found to be insufficient to hold the additional weight of concrete.
Similar problems were encountered at the Red Wagon, which is officially known as the Childhood Express and is used as a park slide. The wooden deck inside of the oversized wagon was failing, and is being replaced. In addition, some structural support is being added to the “sculpture.”
The attraction is fenced off during the repair, which should take a few more weeks to complete, Goodspeed said in a recent press release. Park staff is doing the wagon work.