State Gives 520 Bridge Contractor Violation for Loose Sediment

Kiewit/General/Manson, contractor for the new State Route 520 Bridge, is once again in hot water, this time for an alleged violation with the Washington Department of Ecology.

As KOMO-TV News reports, the state has issued a warning notice to KGW after several residents near Kenmore complained about loosened sediments in Lake Washington they claim have been caused by the contractor's tugboats. An earlier KOMO report indicated that toxins such as dioxin and PCB lie below the sediment near the narrow canal.

The contractor could face a $10,000 fine if it does not fix the problem, according to KOMO.

Parts of the new bridge are being launched in the Kenmore canal and then floated to the construction area. KGW told KOMO it has begun using shallow tug boats as a result of the complaints.

This is not the first time KGW's work on the 520 Bridge has come under fire. In May, a hidden-camera investigation by KOMO led to the suspension of five workers who were accused of drinking on the job.