Methownet BB

Im guessing the bridge is closed to 1 lane traffic and added a temp traffic light because the bridge is in disrepair. But does anyone know the timeline on this process? Not having traffic lights in the valley is one of the many things I love about the Methow Valley. Now there's a light right in front of where I live!

Our trusty Methow Valley News mentioned this in their latest edition~

Expect delays on Highway 153, where a bridge 3.5 miles south of Carlton has been reduced to one lane due to safety concerns, according to a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) news release.

A crew installed jersey barriers in a travel lane along a deteriorating rail on the bridge, just south of the highway’s northern intersection with Gold Creek Loop Road. A portable traffic signal will allow alternating traffic to cross the bridge. The speed limit near the bridge has been reduced to 25 mph.

Emergency bridge repairs have not yet been scheduled, the news release said. The agency has no timeline for resuming two-lane traffic on the bridge.

I sent an email out to Shelly Short, one of our 3 district 7 representatives. I got a response back as she knows that bridge. She is in touch with the DOT.
Just Google Shelly Short, 7th. District and her name pops up and you can send the same email to all three at once.
I contacted Lauren Loebsack with the DOT yesterday and she said in a message this morning that she was going into a meeting today to discuss the bridge, budget, and timeline. A restoration done in 2 wks.
I plan to call her back as soon as I get the correct area code for her number. Email is Lauren.Loebsack@wsdot.wa.gov

Be polite and they are very helpful. They know that it is a fire evac route for us.

Excellent proactive contacts. Thank you! I realize we're still very much involved with fire season and the possibility of a reasonably quick repair is good news.

My concern is more long term. Is that bridge structurally sound beyond the failing railings? Constructed many decades ago, the current traffic count has obviously increased yearly. It won't be too long before HWY 20 will likely be closed again for the winter—which will only increase it's importance in preserving our connections to other parts of the state.

She used the word "restoration" and I don't know if it meant the whole bridgle or just the guardrail portion. It may not take an engineer to look at the underside and see how bad it is.
That is one thing I would like clarification on-replacement or retro fitting.

This is great info, thanks for doing some digging. Pearl would you.mind posting the reply you get when you do? Thanks!