Bridge Work on Icicle Road Starts Today

Work on the Cascade Orchard Bridge deck preservation project began on Thursday.

The two-lane span on Icicle Road in Leavenworth is being taken down to one lane with automated signals for the first 30 days of the project.

A full closure of the bridge with a detour is planned for the final 30 days of work, which is scheduled for mid-August.

Chelan County public information officer, Jill FitzSimmons, says the bridge is busy this time of year but the project requires a summertime schedule.

“It can be a heavily-trafficked area in the summer,” explains FitzSimmons. “This is a construction project we have to do when the kids are out of school and when we will have the least impacts on the community.”

The work includes the installation of taller railings for the bridge and the widening of its sidewalks.

It also features replacing the top layers of concrete on the bridge deck with an overlay that should last at least 30 years.

FitzSimmons says the project could prove to be a greater imposition for some local residents, who are asked to be patient until the work is finished.

“This one may be a frustrating one for some people but we are going to try our hardest to get people through there, and please utilize the detour if you can.”

The project is slated to take 60 days to complete.