Next steps for addressing the SR 165 Carbon River Bridge closure

In April 2025, we closed the 104-year-old State Route 165 Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge. At the time, our most recent inspections revealed one of the bridge's support columns was bent and buckling. We also saw advanced deterioration in the gusset plates at numerous locations across the bridge. These plates connect the bridges' truss members to other portions of the bridge.

The decision to close the bridge was difficult, but necessary. And it left residents south of the bridge with no way across the Carbon River Canyon. We have a temporary bypass route in place for access, but it's not a long-term solution. Since closing the bridge, we have finished a planning study that addresses access across the Carbon River. The following information is meant to bring people up to speed on what we've done so far, and what's to come.

Permanent barrier was placed in front of the SR 165 Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge, following the closure of the bridge.

Planning Study

To help guide a long-term vision, we do what's called a planning study. Think of it like a road map. It's a deep dive into an issue where we can look at many different options and measure the costs of those options. We put a lot of work into moving this study along as fast as we could. We evaluated options that addressed access across the Carbon River Canyon. Those options fell into the following categories:

• Replacing the bridge in the same vicinity.
• Re-routing SR 165 in a new location east or west of the canyon.
• Keep SR 165 closed and remove the bridge.

SR 165 Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge Planning Study Open House held at Carbonado School on June 2, 2025.

An online open house and two in-person open house events were held in May and June. We received 2,837 comments. Themes from the public feedback included:

• Restore access to Mount Rainier National Park and surrounding recreation areas.
• Rebuild in the vicinity of the current bridge.
• Avoid the highest cost alternatives.
• Minimize local community and business impacts.
• Keeping the bridge closed permanently was the least preferred alternative.

Community meeting held in Buckley on Aug. 21 to share the two alternatives being advanced from the planning study.

In August, we held a community meeting to share which two alternatives are advancing from the planning study into design and environmental review. Those two alternatives are:

• Replace the SR 165 Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge just north of the existing location.
• Keep SR 165 closed and remove the Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge.

Next up: design and environmental review

We allocated $7 million in preservation funding from the 2025-27 biennium Transportation Budget to move these two alternatives from the planning study into design and environmental review.

A couple things are occurring to get things rolling. We need geotechnical (soil and rock) information about the area. To access this location, we have to obtain right-of-way permits from landowners. We also must obtain environmental clearances before the work occurs. The Carbon River Canyon is heavily forested, and the hillsides are steep. It's not easy or cheap to place a drill rig in this area to take coring samples to see if the ground is strong enough to place a bridge foundation. That's the kind of data our survey crews need to gather to help determine the type, size and location of a new bridge.

It takes six to twelve months to collect this information. This timeline is dependent on securing environmental permits to remove some trees in this scenic canyon area for drilling. Our environmental team has identified the location as habitat for Spotted Owl and Marbled Murrelet. There are only certain times of the year we can remove trees to avoid nesting for both species. This early engineering work is used to start environmental review for the project.

View looking north of the existing Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge, in an area where a new bridge potentially could be built.

The option of keeping SR 165 closed is also being evaluated. By keeping SR 165 closed, we may need to compensate the lost access for those who currently have access to SR 165 south of the bridge, if reasonable alternative access is not otherwise provided.

NEPA, known as the National Environmental Policy Act, is a federal process that will look at the environmental impacts of each alternative. It focuses on the effects on the land, water, air, wildlife, habitat loss and human health. We are responsible for collecting and analyzing environmental impacts. Then we hand off the findings to other agencies for further review and comment.

The other agencies involved include Federal Highway Administration, US Fish and Wildlife, National Marine Fisheries Service, Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Tribes and others. Each reviewer is given time to review and comment on WSDOT's work, ranging from 30 to135 days or more. Altogether, WSDOT is planning for a 24-month NEPA evaluation and review timeline.

The environmental review addresses something known as Section 106, the National Historic Preservation Act. The law established a national policy for the protection of important historic buildings and archeological sites and the responsibilities for federal and state governments to preserve our nation's heritage. The SR 165 Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The public will have opportunities to provide input during environmental review.

The planning study outlined a preliminary six-year timeline to get a new bridge built. As we do more engineering, this timeframe will likely be revised.

We've read a resolution recently passed by the Town of Wilkeson asking WSDOT not to remove the bridge. The bridge will not be removed without environmental review and until the NEPA process is complete.

SR 165 Bypass route

Following the bridge closure, we took immediate steps to ensure people living south of the bridge had a way to get to and from town. This meant issuing keys to a privately owned bypass route. This nine-mile route is not open to the general public. It's a winding, narrow, gated gravel logging road that we don't own. The route is owned by five private property owners, as are the gates at either end of the route. We negotiated emergency permits and rights of entry with each property owner so people living south of the bridge had a way to get to and from their homes across the Carbon River. This route was established in late summer 2024 when the bridge was severely weight restricted. We appreciate the willingness of the bypass route's five property owners to work with us on this issue.

We recently signed an agreement with the Department of Commerce to help cover funding for automatic gates on the bypass route. The gate hardware is being ordered and will be installed in the coming months. We also recently initiated a new lock and key system to the gates on the bypass route to address security issues.

Our crews maintained this bypass route last winter and will continue to do so in 2026. The bypass will be maintained at the same level as SR 165 was prior to the bridge closure. Our state-wide priority plow route maps are available on our website.

We've heard from people who want to open the bypass road, but that's not possible. The route is privately owned. Under the terms of the agreement we have with the owners, we can't open it to the public.

The bypass route is owned by five property owners. The route is gated and cannot be opened to the general public.

How did we get to this point

We are frequently asked why the bridge didn't get painted. The short answer is funding. The Carbon River Bridge is competing for available preservation funding with many other aging bridges across the state. We receive funding through the state's Transportation Budget every two years by the state Legislature. We are given limited funding for preserving infrastructure like bridges, and our repair and replacement needs far exceed the funding levels provided through the Transportation Budget. This work has been underfunded for decades, and we can't overspend our budget.

WSDOT maintains 3,481 bridges in its current inventory. 342 WSDOT-owned bridges are 80 years old or older, which exceeds WSDOT's expected service life of a bridge. Bridges are designed for a 75-year life. Many of them desperately need preservation work.

You don't have to look far to see another example of this. SR 162 Spiketon Creek Bridge just a few miles away was closed in 2018 then reopened in 2019 with a temporary bridge structure. The bridge was 82 years old when it closed in 2018. The Spiketon Creek Bridge is one of 33 in the state that currently needs replacement. Over the next 10 years, that number will jump to 80 bridges that need replacement.

We will continue to work with lawmakers, state leaders and partners to share these needs and seek solutions.

The loss of this bridge has affected local property owners, outdoor enthusiasts and local communities alike. We regularly hear from people who miss escaping to the Mowich area of Mount Rainier National Park. It has created challenges for our own crews maintaining a section of SR 165 south of the bridge. We are committed to keeping people updated on next steps and any opportunities for feedback on the two options being advanced.

A view of the 104-year-old Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge closed to all travelers. The bridge opened to traffic on Dec. 17, 1921, and was originally named the Fairfax (O’Farrell) Bridge. Historylink.org has more details on this bridge.