PI bridge contract out for bids

The SR 409 bridge painting and deck replacement project has gone out for bid, the Washington Department of Transportation announced this week.

The contract should be awarded by the end of January, said WSDOT Communications Officer Tamara Greenwell.

"With that in mind, we anticipate hosting a public open house with the contractor in February or March," she said. "Bridge construction could begin as early as April, 2018, but we’ll know more once the contractor is on board."

During construction, the bridge will be closed to traffic during the night. The Puget Island ferry will run 24 hours to provide Island-mainland access.