Sixth Street getting temporary bridge
Courtsy image A temporary bridge, similar to the one pictured here will be installed in Wallace on Sixth Street as work begins on constructing a new bridge over the South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River.
WALLACE — For the last 12 months, the city of Wallace has put together plans to replace the Sixth Street Bridge connecting Wallace to Nine Mile Canyon.
It was one year ago that the bridge was given strict weight restrictions for those with large loads and now residents should be getting ready for the next step in the project.
A temporary pre-fabricated steel bridge will be installed over the coming months that will allow for traffic to continue over the bridge, but will also allow for those large trucks hauling logs, remediation waste and other heavy materials to still cross.
The pre-fabricated structure will sit in the middle of the existing bridge and will extend further up and down Sixth Street in Wallace, utilizing the strength and stability of the street to help take a lot of the load off the bridge.
The temporary structure will be installed once the weather allows for asphalt to be laid down.
Designs for the new permanent bridge will begin next month, but must be approved by the Wallace City Council before any work is completed.
The city had applied for federal monies in 2017 that would fund the project and it was approved in early 2018. In the time since approval, Wallace city officials have been in constant dialogue with engineers as a design plan has been put together.
Wallace City Engineer Jim Roletto spoke about what a project of this magnitude entails from a city’s standpoint, including the hurdles that come with using federal bridge funds.
“The project will remove the existing bridge and construct a new bridge meeting federal standards,” Roletto said. “The city is in charge of the project and will have final say on many elements, of course certain standards are required with federal funds. This is a very complex project with many challenging elements.”
HMH Engineering was awarded the contract for this project and their genius will be put to the test as they work around the many obstacles that accompany such a intricate project as this one.
“The design agreement was negotiated this (last) week and the final version will be executed as soon as possible,” Roletto said. “The City Council will have the final say on the agreement and once the agreement is executed, the design phase will begin. It is common for complex bridge designs to take over two full years to complete, however a schedule for the design phase will be completed once the agreement is signed.”
The new temporary bridge should be in use by late May and will remain in use until the new permanent bridge is constructed.
For more information on Wallace’s Sixth Street Bridge project, contact the city of Wallace at 208-752-1147.