Viaduct project paused Friday - waiting on BNSF

While no one was working on the project to improve Havre’s Seventh Avenue viaduct and John Wodarz Bridge over the Milk River in North Havre Friday, the project manager said construction could resume as soon as BNSF approves “a piece of information.”

Construction has resumed as of this morning.

Project Manager Ashley Davis of Dick Anderson Construction— the company that was awarded the $1.4-million multi-phase rehabilitation project — said there is no conflict, no issue, between BNSF and construction crews.

Conflict is not the right word for what halted progress Friday, Davis said.

“There is a piece of information that BNSF has to approve as far as our means and method,” he said.

Davis said there may be times in the future when crews may work four 10-hour days instead of five days and people might not see activity some days. Just because people don’t see construction workers on site every day does not mean something is wrong on the project, he said.

The three-phased preventive care construction campaign is intended to improve the deck surface and extend the life of the viaduct, as well as resurface the Milk River bridge. Two inches will be shaved off the surface of the viaduct and then it will be resurfaced with the intended end result including skid resistance. The three-phase project also includes replacing the expansion joints in the bridge. Expansion joints, Davis said, allows the bridge to expand and contract without cracking.  

Work on the project began April 17 and Ashley had said the allotted time to finish everything is 85 days.