The Green River bridge has reopened.

The Washington State Department of Transportation announced the opening of the state Route 169 bridge (also called the Kummer Bridge or Dan Evans Bridge) this morning, Oct. 14.

The bridge was closed on Sept. 15 after WSDOT discovered corrosion during an inspection. The bridge was first reduced to one lane of alternating traffic in the center of the bridge, as corrosion was found on both sides, before it closed completely.

It was expected that the bridge would reopen in a month after contractors hired under an emergency contract attached new steel to repair the worn girders.

“Reopening this bridge reflects our continued commitment to maintaining safe, reliable infrastructure across Washington,” Gov. Bob Ferguson said in a press release. “Thank you to the teams who worked hard to quickly restore this vital connection for the region.”

WHITE RIVER BRIDGE UPDATE

Enumclaw-Buckley commuters have up to a month before the White River bridge is expected to open, which WSDOT put between Halloween and Nov. 14.

The bridge was struck by a vac truck on Aug. 18, causing massive damage to the entire structure; a WSDOT engineer said the damage could have easily mirrored the Skagit Bridge collapse in 2013.

Contractors under an emergency contract started work on Sept. 13, two days ahead of schedule, and have continued working seven days a week.

Until bridge repairs are completed, local commutes between the two cities – usually 10 minutes at non-peak hours – will continue to be between 45 minutes to an hour.

Alternatives include walking along the Foothills Trail and using the new pedestrian bridge and timing your arrival at either side of the trail for a pickup by Route 915 in Enumclaw or a Pierce Transit shuttle.

Additionally, business can apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans if they’ve been affected by the bridge closure at lending.sba.gov.