King County’s Roads department is nearing the final stages in the permitting process to replace a local bridge.
It was announced on Jan. 10 that the county approved two shoreline permits to replace a bridge over SE Mud Mountain Road. The bridge crosses Boise Creek, near where the road intersects with state Route 410.
The county now has to wait three weeks from that decision date for public comment; if none is made, then the Washington State Department of Ecology will sign off on the project, clearing the way for the county to start work.
Construction is expected to start this summer.
The bridge, called the Boise X Connection Bridge, was built in 1956.
According to the county, it’s outlived its useful life: the steel deck and girders are rusting, the timber foundations are rotting, and the lead-based paint is peeling — all concerns for the surrounding environment.
Additionally, its weight limit means fire engines and commercial trucks cannot access the road from the highway.
The new bridge will remove those weight limits and will be wider than the current bridge. It will also help straighten the road, making it easier for drivers to see ahead.
Finally, there will be public art created at the bridge site after construction is complete.
The county expects the bridge to be completely closed from the summer to the fall, perhaps to the chagrin of locals who use 248th Way and SE Mud Mountain Road to skirt the Buckley traffic crawl in the afternoons and evenings.
The closure also means that those needing to go west on SE Mud Mountain Road must access the road via 252nd Ave and 248th Way.
While the bridge closure will not affect access to the Boise Creek Trail and Pinnacle Peak Park, access to the Foothills Trail and the Lower Boise Creek Trails may be temporarily restricted.
The project is expected to cost $4.7 million.