Closure countdown: White River bridge closes April 15-23

In just a little more than two weeks, the State Route 410 White River Bridge between Enumclaw and Buckley will be closed to repair damage the bridge suffered when it was struck by an over-height load in 2015.

April 1, 2016 11:36 am
Damages to the bridge were discovered during a routine inspection in April 2015. Inspectors discovered that a horizontal beam had been struck approximately 15 feet above the westbound lane heading toward Buckley. Photo by Dennis Box.
Damages to the bridge were discovered during a routine inspection in April 2015. Inspectors discovered that a horizontal beam had been struck approximately 15 feet above the westbound lane heading toward Buckley. Photo by Dennis Box.

In just a little more than two weeks, the State Route 410 White River Bridge between Enumclaw and Buckley will be closed to repair damage the bridge suffered when it was struck by an over-height load in 2015.

Contractor crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation will close the bridge at 10 p.m. Friday, April 15. They are scheduled to reopen the bridge by noon Saturday, April 23.

During the closure, drivers must use a detour route via state routes 164, 18, 167 and 410 that takes approximately 45 minutes, depending on traffic.

“Drivers will need to make sure they leave plenty of time to get around the closure,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Mike Askarian. “We know this is going to be difficult for a lot of people who are used to a quick trip between Buckley and Enumclaw, but it’s really important we fix the bridge before the summer travel season heats up.”

No pedestrian or cyclist access

Due to the nature of the repairs and narrow width of the structure, pedestrians and cyclists will not be allowed to cross the White River Bridge during the work. Some emergency vehicles will be allowed to cross at certain times. The contractor will work directly with emergency responders to advise them when they may use the bridge.

Repair work

To repair the 67-year-old, steel-truss span, crews must replace one horizontal and one vertical support beam. Other beams will be repaired using a heat-straightening process that applies heat in repetitive heating and cooling cycles to reshape the steel. The heat-straightening work could take up to 60 hours. Crews will finish by sandblasting the repaired portions and painting them.

What happened?

Damages to the bridge were discovered during a routine inspection in April 2015. Inspectors discovered that a horizontal beam had been struck approximately 15 feet above the westbound lane heading toward Buckley. Immediately following the discovery, WSDOT closed the bridge for one week so steel rods could be installed in order to carry the load of the damaged beams.

Nearly 20,000 vehicles cross the bridge each day between the two cities. Completing the repair work, along with regular inspections and maintenance will extend the life of the bridge for many years. A combination of state and federal contributions is funding the $1.8 million project, which includes the cost of last year’s temporary repairs.

Drivers can call the project hotline at 253-372-3933 for more information.