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The 4.3-mile-long Astoria-Megler Bridge, which spans the mouth of the Columbia River, requires periodic maintenance because of corrosive environmental elements. Presently, crews are using loud equipment repaint structural steel and replace rivets on the Washington side of the bridge, where few people live and work.

However, similar work planned on the Oregon side of the bridge will take place directly above two major hotels. The Oregon Department of Transportation is working with businesspeople and government officials to prepare for the project. But Astoria residents and business owners are concerned about a possible five-year effort that could generate noise as loud as a jet engine.

Cannery Pier Hotel Manager Don West hopes the bridge work can be limited to daytime, when people aren’t sleeping.

鈥淲e all know we need to do the work,鈥� West said. 鈥淭he question is: What are the best times and the best way to do the work so it mitigates the financial situation for businesses around the area?鈥�

The ODOT project will cost $50 million and involves repainting bridge parts, as well as replacing rusty rivets and bolts and some sections of structural steel. The project will take place in three phases 鈥� top trusses, through trusses and deck trusses; timing will be determined by availability of money, said Larry McKinley, manager for ODOT’s Area 1. If money is secured as expected, work will span five years, he said.

Minnesota-based contractor is wrapping up similar work that it started on the Washington side in late 2009. Crews there haven’t needed to replace as many rivets as anticipated.

鈥淚f there’s a rusted rivet or bolt, we replace it, but 99 percent of the work has been abrasive blasting and repainting the structural steel,鈥� said Gail Svoboda, president of the company.

Crews have used loud equipment to remove the paint, but the noise has not been a public nuisance because neither residents nor businesses are nearby, Svoboda said. But the work presents significant challenges, he added.

鈥淭he big challenge there is the weather; it’s not conducive to good painting,鈥� Svoboda said. 鈥淵ou have to use heaters to heat the work area and to dry it off and keep it dry, and that costs a lot of money. You put up tarps (to contain debris) and take them down in the wind 鈥� all of those add to the cost of a job.鈥�

As for timing, Svoboda said that his company’s construction team prefers to avoid working at night when safety is more at risk.

鈥淚t’s dangerous enough work in the daytime; it’s that much worse when it’s at night,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut if there’s been a long stretch with rain, we do night work to make up for it.鈥�

West also hopes that ODOT may be able to avoid working in the summer; however, winter months pose the most difficulties, according to Svoboda. His crews are still being challenged by foul weather.

鈥淲e’ll probably go another couple of months of good weather,鈥� Svoboda said. 鈥淏ut I don’t know how long it will take us to get those months.鈥�

Scheduling limitations could result in a trade-off 鈥� working year-round to help keep the project on schedule.

The first phase of the rehab project on the Oregon side of the bridge is expected to go out to bid in early 2012, McKinley said.

Svoboda said his team will look at project specs before deciding whether to pursue the Astoria work.

鈥淧eople who have worked on the job are rather burned out on Astoria, and walking around like wet ducks all the time,鈥� he said.