The state Department of Transportation has begun emergency repairs to a retaining wall at the State Route 169 bridge near the Maplewood Golf Course, damaged in the flooding of the Cedar River in early January.
The initial work Tuesday included surveys for sensitive environmental areas and locating utilities.
The cost of the emergency repairs is estimated at $450,000; the contractor for the work is Northwest Construction.
The repair cost is considerably less than the $4 million that City of Renton officials had understood earlier, based on conversations with the state Department of Transportation.
The $4 million was part of the $10.2 million in flood damages that city officials reported to the Renton City Council on Jan. 26. Now that figure is roughly $6.6 million; the vast majority of that damage is to city parks and facilities.
Peter Hahn, the deputy administrator of the city’s Public Works Department, said the Federal Highway Administration will pay for the repairs to the retaining wall. No Renton tax dollars will be used, he said.
The huge difference in costs is likely because initially it was thought the retaining wall would have to be replaced, a more expensive proposition than a repair, according to Patrick Moylan, the maintenance manager for the northwest region of the transportation department.
The repairs could be done and the lane reopened permanently as early as late next week.
The flooding undermined the roadway at the bridge, causing sections of the retaining wall to drop as much as a foot. The bridge over the river wasn’t damaged.
The damage forced the state to close the right-hand lane inbound to Renton on Jan. 8, causing big backups on SR 169 during commute times.
The City of Renton met with transportation department officials immediately after the flood.
“Our message to them was that it was urgent,” said Hahn. “This is a heavily traveled road.”
About 250 feet of wall will be repaired, as well as a section of concrete barrier and roadway that dropped about an inch and a half. Crews will also repair about 50 feet of a pedestrian trail at the base of the wall. The trail has been closed since Jan. 8.
“The repairs won’t require any additional lane closures,” said Dave Lindberg, the project engineer. “However, drivers will see flaggers letting construction trucks and equipment in and out of the work zone.”
