WSDOT ‘left with a mystery’ after Hood Canal Bridge’s emergency closure
May 7, 2025, 3:00 PM | Updated: May 8, 2025, 8:42 am
The Hood Canal Bridge. (MyNorthwest file photo via Getty Images)
(MyNorthwest file photo via Getty Images)
A full inspection of the Hood Canal Bridge on State Route 104 in Poulsbo gave engineers with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) nothing to explain Monday’s extended closure.
“We’re left with a mystery,” WSDOT spokesperson Doug Adamson said. “We are left with a head-scratcher. This is something we haven’t seen before.”
Despite unknown factors causing the closure, everything above and below the water is working normally
Engineers have a working theory, but it isn’t very satisfying. They believe some sort of debris prevented the bridge from closing normally. That debris was then dislodged when a tug boat pushed the bridge back into place.
“That’s our best educated guess right now,” Adamson said. “It’s a little unsatisfying. It’s like reading a mystery novel and not finding out who the killer is.”
A regularly scheduled maintenance closure will go forward as planned on Thursday. The bridge continues to open and close normally.
“It’s a situation where we’re left saying we don’t know, but we’re in a spot where we’re feeling comfortable enough to keep that bridge open for traffic,” Adamson added.
Hood Canal Bridge reopens after 8-hour ’emergency closure’
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The “emergency closure” of the Hood Canal Bridge lasted most of the afternoon and evening on Monday.
WSDOT stated the closure was due to mechanical issues.
“During a routine closure for a marine vessel at 1:02 p.m. on Monday, May 5, the bridge experienced a mechanical malfunction,” the agency wrote. “Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance crews are working to identify the cause of the malfunction.”
The closure lasted from 1 p.m. until 9:30 p.m., adding approximately three hours to normal travel time while it was closed. Before the bridge reopened, WSDOT recommended that drivers take an alternative route through Shelton via State Route 3 and US 101.
Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest
Chris Sullivan is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here. Follow KIRO Newsradio traffic on X.
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