Vantage Bridge is the only crossing point on the Columbia River in the area and is part of I-90, a critical corridor linking the east to west sides of the state.
By Lori Tobias CEG CORRESPONDENT
Travelers journeying across the Columbia River in central Washington are being asked to pack along some patience as crews with Garco Construction continue work on the $79 million rehabilitation project of the Interstate 90 Vantage Bridge.
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) that in recent years the bridge required emergency repairs and lane closures after workers discovered over a “dozen through-deck holes, resulting in over a half a million dollars in repairs.”
Work on the steel cantilever bridge, about 2,504 ft. long, began in 2024.
The bridge, built in 1962, last underwent significant repair in 1982. Construction Equipment Guide learned from the
bilitation, and we decided that just replacing it would be the most cost-effective and provide the most life out of a new deck,” Preston Beckstead, a WSDOT assistant engineer, told Construction Equipment Guide. “There’s also some pier repair on concrete that has been cracked, and they’re just going to tip that out and put new material in to give that a kind of new life.”
“The brick on the deck was just old and in need of reha-
A worker helps tie the concrete deck panels into place.
USACE Signs $691M Contract for Fish Passage Facility
FlatironDragados and joint venture partner Aecon finalized a $691 million contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, to deliver the Howard A. Hanson Dam Additional Water Storage Fish Passage Facility in Ravensdale, Wash.
Employing the Integrated Design and Construction method developed by USACE, this collaborative approach brings together the designer of record and contractors from the early design phase through construction. The model improves coordination, helps mitigate risk and enhances cost and schedule certainty — supporting early alignment among project stakeholders and more informed decision-making throughout the project.
“We are excited to start construction on the Additional Water Storage Project at Howard A. Hanson Dam,” USACE Seattle District Commander Col. Kathryn Sanborn said.
“Howard A. Hanson Dam serves as our primary line of defense against catastrophic flooding in the Green River Valley, holding a record pool and decreasing peak flood by over 5 feet during the record-breaking flows in December 2025. This project significantly expands our water storage, ensuring a reliable supply for thousands of homes and supporting the future economic growth of the region, while also providing salmon access to nearly half of the Green River habitat above the dam.”
“The Howard A. Hanson Dam project is a complex, multibenefit infrastructure initiative,” said Richard Grabinski, FlatironDragados chief operating officer. “In partnership with Aecon, we worked closely with USACE, Tacoma Public Utilities and other stakeholders throughout the collaborative design phase. As we advance to construction, we will continue that approach through the IDaC delivery model that will enable ongoing coordination, proactive risk mitigation and safe, efficient project delivery for the Green River watershed.”
Following successful completion of the collaborative design phase, the project now is advancing into construction to deliver enhanced fish passage, ecosystem restoration, water supply reliability and flood risk reduction.
Located about 35 mi. southeast of downtown Seattle,
the project will improve passage for juvenile out-migrating salmon in the Green River. The facility will allow salmon to bypass the existing dam, supporting conservation of key species while maintaining flood risk management for the region. The facility will include a fixed multiport collector, steep slope bypass, deceleration tunnel and outfall stilling basin structures. This project enhances environmental resiliency in the Pacific Northwest.
Construction is expected to begin in the second quarter
Sound Transit Awards $350M Contract for Operations Center
The Seattle, Wash.-based Sound Transit Board announced on March 26, 2026, that it approved a progressive design-build contract for the Operations and Maintenance Facility South on about 70 acres at South 336th Street in Federal Way, Wash., to Hoffman Construction Co.
When completed in 2032, the facility will house maintenance and operations equipment and staff in support of the existing and future light rail vehicle fleet.
Progressive design-build is a phased procurement process where the design-builder is selected early in the project lifespan, primarily based on qualifications, and works closely with the project owner on cost and schedule control as the project evolves. The contracting method is widely used
by other public agencies in Washington state and by transit agencies around the country.
“Advancing this project through progressive design-build is another example of how Sound Transit is responding to the board’s directive to leverage best practices from our peers and industry to deliver cost-effective projects on schedule,” Transit Deputy CEO and Chief Capital Delivery Officer Terri Mestas said. “This delivery method will help us better collaborate with our industry partners to manage risks, control costs and streamline decision-making — continuing our efforts to make Sound Transit an owner of choice in the region.”
The scope of work covered under the $350 million Hoffman contract award includes final design, site preparation,
roadway improvements, long-lead material procurement and construction staging and support facilities. Hoffman is based in Lake Oswego, Ore.
The project baseline budget and the additional cost of completion will require additional action by the Sound Transit Board.
The OMF South will support future service levels across all Link lines. The facility will provide space to store, test, commission and maintain at least 72 new 95-ft.-long Series 3 light rail vehicles and will include a maintenance-of-way building and other support facilities. The mainline track will provide access to the OMF South facility building and yard.
More than 600 people will be employed at the completed facility, earning living wages.
Architectural renderings of the additional water storage project at Howard A. Hanson Dam showcase a cross-sectional view of the multiport intake and steep slope bypass and tower of the new fish passage facility.
ALL WORK. NO WEAKNESS.
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Vantage Bridge Rehab Requires Custom Crane System
from page 1
The project involves replacing 660 concrete panels, lifted out by a specialized Gantry-type crane created by Garco Construction for the job, Beckstead said.
“They start off by just saw-cutting a chunk out of the deck, 6 ft. by 30 ft. long, and then they use the crane system to lift it out like a puzzle piece,” he said. “Once they get a predetermined section removed, then they place back essentially the same thing they just removed, only with precast panels. Next, they pour the seams, so they’re all connected together and attached back to the steel. From there, we can move to a new section. Each work section comprises maybe 10 or 15 of those puzzle pieces, and each work section takes two-and-a-half weeks.”
Because the custom crane system sits low to the ground and lifts each panel only a few feet above the surface, traffic on the four-lane bridge has remained open to two lanes. But managing traffic on the bridge, which sees about 18,000 vehicles daily, remains one of the biggest challenges of the job, Beckstead said.
Vantage Bridge is the only crossing point on the Columbia River in the area and is part of I-90, a critical corridor linking the east to west sides of the state.
“It’s located around milepost 136, where Highway 26 intersects with I-90, so there’s just a lot of traffic through there, Beckstead said. “The only other way to get across the Columbia River is a pretty out-of-the-way detour in both directions from the north or south.”
Depending on the route, those detours can add more than an hour one way. And when the Gorge Amphitheatre – AKA the Gorge at George and considered a premier concert venue in the Pacific Northwest – is hosting a concert, the traffic delays add up significantly.
“We have a smart work zone system set up that is able to detect traffic backups and display that on message boards miles away from the project, in both directions,” Beckstead said. “That one was a big item for the traffic on this project. It’s a series of message boards with sensors on them and, as traffic slows down and backs up past them, it provides warnings further upstream of potential delays. We don’t use many flaggers, but merge traffic using barrels to try to keep everything open and flowing and channelized. Occasionally, we’ll do traffic lights on the on ramps during certain events.”
To date, more than 260 panels of the 660 have been replaced, and 80 percent of the bridge piers are completed.
Because the custom crane system sits low to the ground and lifts each panel only a few feet above the surface, traffic on the four-lane bridge has remained open to two lanes.
R- Moses Lake, passed last fall, renaming the structure the Medal of Honor Bridge.
“A personal connection to a war hero and Medal of Honor recipient inspired the idea. It is an opportunity to honor those who honored us with their bravery and service in a picturesque setting,” Dent said. “The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest military award given ‘For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.’ Less than one-tenth of 1 percent of America’s service members have been awarded the Medal of Honor, with 34 known recipients accredited from Washington state.”
The name is expected to be dedicated in a ceremony following the completion of the rehabilitation project. CEG (All photos courtesy of the Washington State Department of Transportation.)
VANTAGE
The project involves replacing 660 concrete panels, lifted out by a specialized Gantry-type crane created by Garco Construction.
Chunks of the deck 6 ft. by 30 ft. long are cut, then a crane system lifts them away.
A new piece of the bridge deck is moved into place.
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Kaiser Permanente Breaks Ground On Hospital Tower
Kaiser Permanente hosted a celebration on April 1, 2026, to mark the start of construction on a new hospital tower at Kaiser Permanente Sunnyside Medical Center in Clackamas, Oregon.
The new facility is scheduled to open in 2029.
Andersen Construction is the contractor for the project.
The event brought together Kaiser Permanente leaders, employees, community members and elected officials to celebrate a major milestone for health care in the region.
“Since opening our doors in 1975, Sunnyside Medical Center has been a place where lives are saved, families begin, and people come for care at every stage of life,” said Wendy Watson, regional president of Kaiser Permanente in the Northwest.
A highlight of the event was an augmented reality moment, where a digital visualization of the planned future hospital tower was revealed. Kaiser Permanente said the 7-story, 615,000-sq.-ft. hospital tower will feature leading-edge technology, expanded capacity and modern patient amenities, including:
• 100 percent private patient rooms;
• in-room telemedicine capabilities, advanced robotics and image-guided surgical equipment;
A rendering of Kaiser Permanente’s Sunnyside Medical Center upon completion of a new tower.
• expanded emergency department capacity to reduce wait times;
• easy navigation for patients, staff and visitors; and
• natural light, green spaces, walking paths and healing gardens.
This hospital will be fully electric, significantly reducing its carbon footprint. The facility also is targeting LEED Gold certification. Once complete, it will become Kaiser Permanente’s 87th LEED-certified building, adding to the largest group of LEED-certified health care facilities in the
United States.
Sunnyside Medical Center opened in 1975. Today, more than 2,300 doctors, nurses and health care professionals provide care for tens of thousands of patients each year, perform thousands of surgeries, and deliver more than 2,000 babies annually.
During peak construction, the project is expected to employ more than 600 local tradespeople, supporting the regional economy. When the new tower opens in 2029, the existing hospital building is scheduled to be replaced with additional
parking, walkways and outdoor spaces.
The medical center is home to Kaiser Permanente’s regional centers for neurosurgery and adult cancer care, a Level III NICU, and the Northwest Center for Heart and Vascular Care.
Sunnyside Medical Center is one of two Kaiser Permanente hospitals that serve Oregon and southwest Washington; the other is Kaiser Permanente Westside Medical Center in Hillsboro, Ore., which opened in 2013.
