Carbon River Fairfax Bridge closed; SR 165 access to Mount Rainier cut off

The emergency closure came April 14 after new deterioration was discovered.

By Ray Miller-Still • April 15, 2025 1:15 pm

The Washington State Department of Transportation has closed the Carbon River Fairfax Bridge to all traffic.

According to the state, the single-lane bridge located three miles south of Carbonado has suffered new deterioration of its steel supports, necessitating its immediate closing on April 14 before additional inspections of the bridge are performed in coming weeks.

Without being able to cross the 495-foot bridge, access to Mount Rainier National Park via State Route 165 is effectively cut off.

If additional inspections reveal the bridge must remain closed, it’s unclear how long that will be for – WSDOT has said there are no funds currently to replace the bridge.

“Years of deferred preservation work due to limited preservation funding resulted in the updated weight restrictions and now the indefinite closure,” the department said in a press release.

The state has been limiting traffic on this bridge for more than a decade due to its age and condition. In 2009, wide-loads were banned on the bridge; this was expanded to prohibiting all commercial vehicles from using the structure in 2013, and its weight limit was further reduced to 16,000 pounds (8 tons) last year.

According to the state, bridges built on current standards are expected to have a service life of 75 years. However, the Carbon River Fairfax Bridge was built in 1921. The average age of state-owed vehicle bridges is 51 years.

At this time, there is a non-public route available for emergency vehicles and residents that can get around the closure. However, a WSDOT spokesperson said the state may consider seeking revisions to the department’s agreement with property owners when a bridge inspection is completed.