Weather, pollution and time have worn away the paint on the eastbound State Route 18 Green River (Neeley) Bridge in Auburn. It’s peeling, flaking off and exposing the bridge’s steel, resulting in rust and corrosion on the 56-year-old truss bridge.

During the next several months, contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will tackle a $2.2 million project to slow the aging process and preserve the bridge by giving it a new coat of paint.

“This is going to help protect the steel on the bridge for another 20 years,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Mike Askarian. “We’ve got 30,000 vehicles crossing it every day, and preserving this bridge is a cost-effective way to extend the life of the bridge and helps ensure it’s safe for them.”

This week, Intech Contracting will begin the process of painting the span. Contractor crews will first install the rigging for the work platform. After the work platform is complete, the crews will place a containment system around the bridge to protect drivers and prevent paint and debris from falling into the Green River. The crews will then sandblast the old, peeling paint and surface rust while making other repairs before applying primer and fresh paint.

Work schedule and lane closures

• Work may occur day or night. No daytime lane closures will occur.
• Occasional, nighttime lane closures of eastbound SR 18 may occur nightly Sunday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., and Saturdaynights from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.

Up to 20 full closures of all eastbound lanes may occur Sunday through Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Repainting the Neeley Bridge is one of four bridge preservation projects in King and Snohomish counties that start in 2015. The work will be complete this fall.