The new Bonner Bridge officially connected from end to end on Monday, August 27, after construction crews installed the final girders that linked the 2.8-mile-long bridge into one continual structure.
Though there is still work remaining to complete the new Bonner Bridge, the project is nevertheless on track for the bridge to open by the end of 2018.
Using high-durability concrete, stainless reinforcing steel, and other modern engineering features, the new Bonner Bridge will have a 100-year life span. The high-rise portion of the bridge is 3,500 feet long with seven navigational spans, averaging about 300 feet in width each, which will also provide more options for navigation under the bridge. Comparatively, the arched high rise of the existing bridge provides for only one navigational span with an opening of 130 feet.
The new bridge will also feature 12-foot-wide travel lanes and 8-foot-wide shoulders, which will improve safety across the board. (The current Bonner Bridge has no shoulders.)
Once the new bridge is complete, crews will get to work removing the “old” Bonner Bridge just east of the new site, leaving behind 1,000 feet of the existing structure at the southern end. This portion of the old bridge will remain in place and will be open for pedestrians and fishermen, and the rail will be updated to be more pedestrian-friendly and safer.
The project in its entirety is set to be completed by September 2019, which includes about 10 months for the demolition of the original bridge. The project began with a groundbreaking in March of 2016, and has more or less remained on schedule throughout the duration of the construction.
