Bucklin Hill Bridge Replacement

Kitsap County
Silverdale, Washington

The Bucklin Hill Bridge spans the northernmost tip of Dyes Inlet in Silverdale, Washington. The project constructed a 240-foot, multi-span, four-lane bridge, and installed new bike lanes, wider sidewalks and two scenic overlooks. The original design for the replacement bridge was developed by another consultant. Exeltech provided fast-track redesign of the replacement bridge superstructure and substructure to support the construction contractor’s Value Engineering Construction Proposal—resulting in the reduction of substructure concrete quantity by 40 percent and a savings of $300,000. In addition, by modifying the original superstructure design, which used temporary falsework in the environmentally sensitive Sinclair Inlet estuary, to precast prestressed concrete deck bulb tee girders, the project was able to be built in one fish window instead of two—reopening the roadway almost three months ahead of schedule.

Kitsap County hired Exeltech to perform construction management for the project. Exeltech’s engineering services during construction included redesign of pre-cast girder bracing and lifting checks, which allowed an existing, highly sensitive fiber optic duct bank to be temporarily supported in its final location during the excavation of the existing roadway embankment and substructure construction. The bracing and lifting design (checks) scheme allowed the Contractor to support the fiber in its final location so that it would not have to be moved multiple times during the construction of the substructure and roadway embankment, which reduced project risk, cost, and construction duration.

The project received the 2017 APWA Project of the Year Award (State and National levels).