White River Bridge officially reopens, weeks ahead of schedule

The White River Bridge officially reopened Friday at 10:30 a.m., the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced via Facebook.

“The White River Bridge, which is a vital link between the communities of Buckley and Enumclaw, has been closed since Aug. 18 following a strike from an over-height truck. Our crews and contractor crews got to work immediately to assess the damage, draft up a plan, prop up temporary supports, and then fix it as quickly and safely as possible,” WSDOT wrote in its post.

WSDOT crews installed additional signs across the bridge and are working to develop a warning system.

“To the travelers and communities who were impacted by this closure, thank you for the adjustments that you made these past two months. We hope you enjoy that fresh bridge smell (although that may just be the new paint),” WSDOT wrote.

White River Bridge opens weeks ahead of schedule

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson announced Thursday that the bridge would reopen on Friday after it was damaged by a truck earlier this year.

“We understood how challenging the situation was for the community, its individuals, businesses, you name it,” Ferguson said. “That message was loud and clear, and was not lost on anybody about how vital this bridge is to this community.”

Ferguson claimed seven-day-a-week work schedules, collaboration between teams, and luck contributed to the bridge opening ahead of schedule.

“We pledged at that time we would do everything we could, working together, working with our partners, elected officials, community leaders, businesses, and do everything we could to open this bridge as soon as possible,” Ferguson said. “A lot can go wrong on a project like this. We’re very excited to announce today that this bridge will open tomorrow.”

White River Bridge shut down since Aug. 18

The White River Bridge has been shut down since Aug. 18 and has undergone permanent repair work since its closure.

According to a police report, a 70-year-old dump truck driver had just delivered a load, but did not lower the bed as he drove off. The driver went under SR 167, and that bed slammed into the concrete girders above. The driver was cited for negligent driving in the second degree and issued a $564 ticket.

The closure forced drivers onto a signed detour via State Route 164, State Route 18, and State Route 167, which can add up to an hour to travel times during peak periods.

Damage to the bridge was estimated between $5 and $6 million and was expected to remain closed to traffic until sometime between Oct. 31 and Nov. 15.

Ferguson issued an emergency proclamation on Aug. 27 that allowed the state to seek federal funding to reimburse the ongoing and future work being done to repair the bridge.

“The White River Bridge is a critical lifeline to these communities, and we are doing all we can to get it reopened as quickly as possible,” Ferguson previously stated. “The work is happening right now, and this declaration will ensure we can seek federal reimbursement to protect state dollars.”

In September, crews installed temporary braces. That work was completed ahead of schedule, allowing the contractor to get started early. Workers replaced damaged steel, heat-straightened bent components, and repainted affected areas.

This story was originally published on October 16, it has been updated and republished since then.

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest; Frank Lenzi, James Lynch, and Chris Sullivan, KIRO Newsradio

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