When it comes to the bridge spans over Deception and Canoe passes, the old adage of “They don’t build them like they used to” may ring particularly true.
This year marks the bridges’ 75th anniversary. No one knows just how many vehicles have crossed the spans over the past three quarters of a century, but the current daily average is estimated at 15,000 vehicles each day. That’s chalks up to a whopping 54.75 million vehicles over the past 10 years alone.
But, while there is some speculation that the spans may be nearing the end of their expected lifespan, state and local officials alike agree that both remain in markedly good condition. In fact, they are in such good shape there is no plan in place that examines how or when they will be replaced.
Not on the radar
The Deception Pass bridges, which were completed in 1935, are not the oldest bridges in the state. Not by a long shot, according to Archie Allen, bridge superintendent for the state Department of Transportation’s Northwest Region. Of the 3,600 state-owned bridges in Washington, at least 43 were built prior to 1935. The oldest, which is actually scheduled to be replaced in 2012, is the single-lane Pilchuck Creek bridge in Snohomish County. It was constructed in 1916.
“People don’t realize we still have a lot of timber structures,” Allen said.
The Deception Pass spans are also in excellent shape. Their condition is not something that’s taken for granted, he said. Per the Federal Highway Administration’s standards, each span gets a thorough and rigorous inspection every two years. They may be 75 years old, but they are a long way from needing replacement.
“They aren’t even on the radar,” Allen said.
The spans were last inspected in March and April of 2009. According to the reports, common findings included surface and pack rust, hairline leaching cracks and spalling in deck soffits (the underside supports of an architectural structure), trusses and support columns, and bent or damaged pedestrian hand railings.
But the inspections don’t just examine structural deficiencies; they are designed to gauge if a bridge is meeting the current public need as well. For example, if traffic patterns are overwhelming its capacity, a bridge may be considered for replacement.
According to Allen, bridges are assigned a rating after each inspection that ranges between 0 and 100. Anything lower than 50 and officials begin keeping a closer eye on the structure. While both bridges received ratings of 48 in 2009, there are no hard rules when it comes to replacement, he said. The combination of their excellent condition and a lack of funding makes them a low priority.
“I think those bridges will be there for a while,” Allen said.
A vital link
Confidence in the bridge spans is not universally shared, however. In recent years, they have been a source of controversy with many people, from candidates vying for political office to people lobbying for a new bridge.
Much of the ammo used by bridge critics has stemmed from a 2001 Department of Transportation Study that examined cost and travel time savings if new bridges and or ferry routes from Whidbey Island were created.
The study indicated that peak traffic volumes may overload the spans capacity in 20 years, or by 2020. Delays could become a significant headache as the bridges serve as an important transportation link for Whidbey Island.
In an e-mailed statement, Whidbey Island’s Naval Air Station’s commander, Capt. Gerral David, said that an average of 15,000 trucks use the Deception and Canoe Pass spans to supply the base each year. Many base personnel also used the bridges on a daily basis.
“The Deception Pass Bridge is a vital component of the transportation system that connects NAS Whidbey Island to the services and products needed to support the operations of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island,” David wrote.
But, according to Island County Public Works Engineer Randy Brackett, traffic counts have actually been on the decline since the 2001 study. That, along with a slow-down in development, could make many of the 10-year-old study’s conclusions unreliable at best.
The information in the study may be even older. The data was included in the transportation element of the county’s 1998 comprehensive plan update. It claimed that traffic on Highway 20 between Troxell Road and Deception Pass would increase from 17,100 trips per day to 28,020 in 2020.
“As a professional, I would say the validity of this study is now called into question,” Brackett said.
State Department of Transportation Planning Manager Todd Carlson confirmed that traffic counts hovered around 15,000 vehicles per day in 2000 and remained the same in 2009, although that count fluctuated above and below during the intervening years.
“The issue of capacity is a huge red herring,” Carlson said.
Furthermore, a 2007 update to the 2001 study revealed that most of its conclusions were still true. The bridge alternatives examined all had serious flaws, from environmental impacts and permitting difficulties to funding issues. It also concluded that the spans over Deception and Canoe passes could be preserved indefinitely, albeit at an ever-increasing cost.
“At some point in time replacement of these bridges, in their existing configuration, may be necessary in order to cost effectively maintain this vital transportation link,” the update said. “An in-depth analysis of when this would occur has not been done.”
Next to impossible
According to Glen Scroggins, a bridge preservation supervisor with the state Department of Transportation, it’s difficult to say just how much longer the spans will last. Variables ranging from environmental conditions, such as salty-sea air, or earthquakes can severely effect a bridge’s expected lifespan.
However, in a 2008 Whidbey News-Times story, Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, was quoted saying that state experts had informed her the bridges’ expected lifespan was about 80 years.
Groggins said the Deception and Canoe Pass spans were built to last between 50 and 150 years. He said that’s a rough estimate and more weight is assigned to inspection report ratings than early lifespan predictions.
“Even if the design life was 50 to 75 years, we don’t look at it and say, ‘OK, we’re done,’” Scroggins said.
There are currently 35 bridges in the state that are in need of replacement or major rehabilitation. The price tag is estimated at $547 million. According to Scroggins, if the state were to replace the Deception Pass bridges exactly as they are, the construction costs alone would be at least $50 million. That calculation is based on a $1,000 per square-foot estimate.
Haugen has said for years that a plan should be in place to rehabilitate or replace the existing bridges. The reason one doesn’t exist is because of a lack of funds and that the community hasn’t made it a priorty. Groups such as the Navy and the Skagit and Island County Regional Transportation Planning Organization have not voiced enough concern to merit the expense, she said.
“You have to get your act together,” Haugen said.
There was not a plan in place to replace the Steel-Electric ferries that served the Port Townsend-Keystone ferry route either. The boats were yanked from service suddenly in 2007 by Paula Hammond, the then newly appointed Washington State Ferries secretary. The first permanent replacement boat is set to arrive next month, nearly three years later.
Haugen, who was not part of the decision to retire the ferries, said a few weeks before that she felt they were so unsafe that she wouldn’t allow her grandchildren to ride them during bad weather.
Considering the state’s current financial troubles, and the good condition of both bridges, just getting funding together to pay for a plan would be difficult “if not impossible” politically, Haugen said. Transportation funding in Western Washington is extremely competitive. Until the state’s financial situation improves, getting a plan in place may require a catastrophe, such as the Steel-Electric ferries, to occur.
“There is nothing like an emergency to get things done,” Haugen said.
Barring such an emergency, the bridges at Deception Pass will be Whidbey Island’s main access to the mainland for years to come. Planning for their 100th birthday will start in about 24 years.
