WSDOT/CWU/DOE

A large joint restraint allows crews on the Hood Canal Bridge to exert 100,000 pounds of force to open, close or restrain the joint. (Photo courtesy of WSDOT)

Shine, Wash. — General Contractor Kiewit General, Poulsbo, Wash., earned a $600,000 bonus June 3rd, by replacing the east half of the Hood Canal Bridge eight days ahead of schedule. The 1.5 mile span is the longest floating bridge over salt water in the world and it connects the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas about 25 miles northwest of Seattle.

The bridge was scheduled to be closed for six weeks, so the contractor could attach the pontoons, trusses and drawspan. All the components were constructed and tested off-site.

Kiewit General is now attaching new anchors to the bridge and working to replace the electrical system on the west side. That work is expected to be finished October 1, 2009.

Architect Wraps Up Work On Multiple CWU Projects

Ellensburg — At Central Washington University, new and renovated instruction buildings, recreation facilities and student housing are moving ahead.

Studio Meng Strazzara led the design of the renovations to CWU’s Nicholson Pavilion last fall in time for fans to cheer on their Wildcats. The facility is the main gymnasium for men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and recreation instruction spaces. The focus was to upgrade the main gymnasium space and modernize the main lobby to create an inviting environment for students and fans alike, and do it in an economically smart way.

This fall, 480 upperclass students will occupy a new, two-building student housing complex at CWU, also designed by Studio Meng Strazzara in partnership with Niles Bolton Associates. With an unprecedented wave of “echo-boomers” graduating from high school right now and an aim to boost retention numbers on campus, the university needed to create new housing that would not just accommodate their students, but also offer a compelling alternative to off-campus housing.

Steve Lee, Studio Meng Strazzara’s Project Manager for the new residence hall project at CWU, understands this goal. “We were challenged to create the best living environment for CWU students with all the amenities that students expect, all on a budget of around $50,000 per student,” recalls Lee. Informed by years of private, market-rate housing design, Studio Meng Strazzara arrived at creative design solution that met that challenge.