The Enumclaw City Council recently passed a resolution supporting the town of Wilkeson amid the continued closure of the Carbon River/Fairfax bridge.

The resolution was approved unanimously during the Dec. 8 meeting.

“… [T]he bridge closure has caused economic hardship for businesses, and residents in the Town of Wilkeson, Town of Carbonado, and the surrounding area, threatening the viability of small businesses that rely on local and tourist traffic; and… the City of Enumclaw requests immediate financial assistance from the State and Federal Government to support the Town of Wilkeson, to include financial assistance to the small business owners of Wilkeson, until such time that access can be restored,” the resolution reads.

The Carbon River/Fairfax bridge was closed indefinitely on April 14 after recent bridge inspections revealed new steel deterioration; the bridge was permanently closed April 22, cutting off public access to several dozen people living on the opposite side of the bridge and Mount Rainier National Park’s Mowich Lake area.

The lack of access to the popular park is causing an economic disaster for Wilkeson, as what was once hundreds of cars driving through the city every day during the peak season has been reduced to almost nothing.

Wilkeson Council member Jayme Peloli, who has spearheaded efforts to mitigate the disaster the bridge closure has caused her town, called Enumclaw’s support a meaningful difference.

“We’re incredibly grateful that the Enumclaw City Council passed a resolution in support of Wilkeson. Their leadership reinforces what we’ve been saying from day one: this isn’t just a Wilkeson issue,” she said. “The impacts of the Fairfax Bridge closure ripple across the entire Plateau, our local economy, our first responders, and every resident and visitor who relies on safe access to the Carbon and Mowich corridors. Having a neighboring city publicly stand with us strengthens our position as we continue working with state partners.”

After the bridge was closed, WSDOT completed a planning study on what options were available for how to deal with the structure.

According to the department, the public’s favored option is to build a new bridge in nearly the same spot — but that would cost millions of dollars, and no funding has yet been marked for such a project.

Peloli said some important developments have happened since the planning study was complete.

“We’ve continued meeting with state-level partners, and momentum is steadily building,” she said. “Conversations are ongoing around access, emergency response, and long-term stabilization, and there is a growing recognition of how significant the impacts are for our community.”

One of those developments is a $50,000 Community Economic Revitalization Board (CERB) grant that will help with the purchase of 139 acres just outside the Wilkeson’s downtown corridor.

Peloli said this grant “is an important step for our long-term economic development and resilience strategy,” as she aims to turn the land into a system of trails, parks, and gathering spaces.