At long last, there’s a brand new bridge over the Elwha River

By Mark Krulish

Out on the Olympic Peninsula sits the ever-faithful Elwha River Bridge. It’s an important crossing for Clallam County, taking people on US 101 over the mighty Elwha River. The bridge has served the area well for nearly 100 years.

In 2016, we found out the bridge sat on gravel instead of bedrock. This was not what the original plans for the bridge showed. We took measures to prevent more erosion of the bridge’s piers. We installed monitors to keep tabs on the river’s flow during heavy rains. This was done to ensure the bridge would remain safe for crossing, but we knew the bridge needed to be replaced.

It took us a long time to get here. There was an extensive environmental review that included six public meetings over the course of two years. Completion of the environmental review in November of 2021 cleared the way for design. Finally, in April 2023, our contractor started constructing the new bridge.

The wait for the new bridge is over.

At 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 21, the new Elwha River Bridge opened to traffic.

Building a new bridge

After preparing the site, we got to work during the 2023 in-water work window so we could drill the shafts for the new piers. This work moved quickly as some of it had to be completed before the in-water work window ended. The in-water work window, also known as the fish window, is the time of year in which construction least affects aquatic life. That window varies a little from year to year, but it is usually in July and August.

By October, we had fully formed piers sticking out of the river.

The new piers on the bridge were built by October 2023.

Once the piers were ready, we placed 18 steel girders over the course of six nights in November 2023. At this point, you could really see the new bridge start to take shape.

Over several nights in November, crews set 18 large girders over the piers to form
the foundation of the new bridge deck.

This past winter and spring, crews set rebar to help form the base of the bridge deck and built up the abutment walls where the new bridge meets the land on each side of the river.

Finally, over the course of nine days, we finished paving which tied the new bridge into the US 101 alignment. In just 15 short months, we have a brand new bridge over the Elwha River.

Construction of the new bridge was complete in July 2024.

Benefits

The new bridge comes with many benefits. As mentioned earlier, we had to monitor the old bridge during heavy rainstorms. In November of 2021 the flow of the river was fast and high enough that we had to close the bridge for safety.  The new bridge will not have safety issues based on water flow in the river.

On Thursday, July 10, we removed the tilt meters from the old bridge. This was a great relief to our staff who were responsible for monitoring the bridge. We’re sure it’s a relief to Clallam County residents, too.

Construction crews remove the meters from the old Elwha River Bridge on July 11, 2024.

The new bridge is 40 feet wide, as opposed to the old bridge, which was 28 feet. It has two 12-foot lanes and two 8-foot shoulders. This creates a wider and more comfortable crossing for those who walk, bike or roll. It’s also built to modern seismic standards.

As part of the project, we also realigned US 101 near the bridge to create a gentler curve traveling west down the hill to the bridge.

One of the best parts about this is, the new bridge will keep the communities of the Olympic Peninsula connected for decades to come.

More work to come

We still have plenty to do at the site, even with the main objective of building the new bridge complete.

The biggest task left is to demolish the old bridge. During demolition, we’ll temporarily divert the river towards one side of the bridge. On the dry side, we’ll begin taking apart the old bridge. We’ll then do the same on the other side. We’ve built construction pads beneath the bridge on each side to prevent any negative effects to the river. The pads catch any material that falls from the bridge as we take it apart.

Next, we’ll remove the old bridge columns and piers. We’ll replace that with sediment. We will also install 12 engineered logjams – this part has already begun. These steps will help restore the river to a more natural condition.

We have a few other improvements to do along US 101 as well. We’ll relocate the US 101/Olympic Hot Springs Road intersection to create a better sight line for travelers. That intersection will also get turning lanes to make turning onto US 101 easier. We also will put down permanent striping, signs and install new lighting.

Thank you

We recognize that highway construction isn’t easy. It’s stressful for residents, businesses and visitors alike. Thank you for your patience during the closure of US 101 while we brought the new bridge online for all to use. Thank you for continuing to keep our construction crews safe while they finish the project and to our steadfast maintenance crews who perform repairs every day and clear the snow during winter on our state highways. We each collectively play a part in allowing highway workers to go home to their families at night. Thank you for helping keep them safe.

Stay connected

While this project is in the homestretch, we all know there are other projects nearby that continue. To stay current on Olympic Peninsula construction, visit our online open house. Stay current on the latest state highway conditions by downloading the WSDOT app or visit the statewide travel map.

Summer of construction on Northeast 85th Street, including a full closure from July 26-29

This summer will be significant for the I-405/Northeast 85th Street Interchange and Inline BRT Station Project as crews work to carry out complex construction activities to build new I-405 bridge columns on Northeast 85th Street.

This work will require:

• traffic shifts
• lane reductions
• full weekend closure of Northeast 85th Street

Drivers should be prepared for:

• longer travel times than usual
• signed detour routes
• travel during off-peak hours to avoid congestion

Earlier in July, we restriped, set up barrier, and shifted traffic to establish a work zone in the median. This lane configuration is expected to be in place until mid-2025 while we build the new I-405 bridge columns.

Reduced left turn lanes to northbound and southbound I-405 on-ramps beginning in July

This summer, crews will shorten the length of the left turn lanes on Northeast 85th Street leading to northbound and southbound I-405 on-ramps. Left turn lanes to I-405 on-ramps will be shortened for up to eight weeks starting in July. Reducing lane length is needed to accommodate the large equipment in the work area necessary to drill and build the I-405 column foundations. Pedestrian access along the north side of Northeast 85th Street will be maintained via a temporary walkway.

Full closure of Northeast 85th Street from July 26 to July 29

Northeast 85th Street between Kirkland Way/114th Avenue Northeast and 120th Avenue Northeast will be closed in both directions from 9 p.m. Friday, July 26 to 5 a.m. Monday, July 29. Signed detours will be in place.

Details and updates of the full closure will be posted on the project webpage. The schedule is subject to change due to the nature of construction.

The detour maps for the full closures of Northeast 85th Street can be found by clicking on the links below:

• Northeast 85th Street vehicle detour routes
• Northeast 85th Street pedestrian and cyclist detour routes
• Northeast 85th Street to northbound I-405 on-ramp closure detour routes
• Northbound I-405 off-ramp to Northeast 85th Street closure detour routes
• Northeast 85th Street to southbound I-405 on-ramp closure detour routes
• Southbound I-405 off-ramp to Northeast 85th Street closure detour routes

Expect increased congestion and plan for additional travel time during these weekends. Use alternate routes and travel during off-peak hours if possible.

Looking ahead

The next big construction activity affecting Northeast 85th Street will be girder placements in September, causing two full weekend closures. We will regularly share updates via the project webpage, social media and email (sign up for our project listserv).

Adjusting to new travel patterns takes time, so it's important to stay focused on the road and mindful of the drivers around you. Construction schedules are subject to change. Our construction contractor, Graham, is working to reduce construction effects to travelers and neighbors.

Green, yellow, red and white: Some new colors and steps we’re taking to help keep everyone safe on the roads

By Barbara LaBoe

If you see green and yellow flashing lights on the road don't be alarmed – but please do pay attention.

The green and yellow lights aren't aliens coming to Earth. They're simply one more way we're helping keep our crews – and all travelers – safe on our roads. We've seen disturbing increases in speeding and erratic driving on all roads and in our work zones and we are always trying to find new ways to keep crews safe. Our crews – the ones facing these dangers every day – have also asked for extra protection.

Our crews work sometimes just inches from active traffic while repairing or improving our roads or responding to crashes. Despite warning signs, orange cones and other signals, too many people hit our vehicles or even strike our crews. We also have many near misses that don't injure anyone but are still terrifying.

And it's not just our crews – other travelers are also hurt in work zone crashes. Last year, the total number of work zone crashes increased nearly 5 percent – from 1,313 in 2022 to 1,377 in 2023. Of those injured, 95 percent were not workers but drivers, their passengers or pedestrians.

So here are two new steps we're taking:

Red and white reflective warning stripes

This will be applied on the back of all roadway work vehicles. The red and white stripes are in an upside down "V" design. It's another visual cue to be extra alert, slow down and give vehicles space to do their work safely. These will be on vehicles our Incident Response Team use as well as trucks and snowplows that regularly work on or next to highways. The IRT trucks currently have yellow and black stripes but the red and white are more noticeable for both them and all other trucks working on or near roads.

Red and white reflective stripes are being added to vehicles to make them more noticeable.

Different colored alternating lights

Our vehicles already have flashing lights, but often we see people drive straight past them without noticing.

To help make them more noticeable, we're switching it up a bit. Vehicles in work zones and on roads regularly – such as snowplows and other vehicles that work on or along highways – will have lights that alternate between green and yellow, instead of the current yellow flashing lights. We're making these changes – both the lights and the stripes -- based on new research by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program and the Transportation Research Board. The research showed the stripes and the lights changing between two colors helps people more easily see the vehicles – which is the entire goal.

The green lights are also more visible in fog.

This split screen shows how new green flashing lights are more visible in foggy conditions.

Other vehicles that need warning lights will have alternating yellow and white lights. Our Incident Response Team vehicles will keep their existing red lights, which they are allowed to use because they are first responders.

The new lights were installed in some of our Eastern Region trucks last year and worked well. Travelers said that the lights were easier to see. We'll now add them to all new vehicles, and we'll go back and retrofit some of our newer vehicles. It may take some time before everyone in the state sees the new lights, but the goal is to roll them out as quickly as time and budgets allow. Making these changes across the state helps keep our vehicles consistent. This helps travelers know what to look for and what to do when they see the lights.

It is important to note our vehicles already met all federal and agency standards for safety and visibility. These new steps are above and beyond what's required as we prioritize keeping crew members and travelers all safe.

Give 'em a Brake

Please be alert when you see the new lights and tape – but even more importantly, keep a lookout for all vehicles and workers on the road.

Our crews – and all road workers and first responders – are people just like you with loved ones who worry about them. These lights and tape changes are one more step to help keep them safe, but we need the public's help too.

Please remember anytime you're near a work zone or see flashing lights to:

• Slow Down – drive the posted speeds, they're there for your safety.
• Be Kind – our workers are out there helping to keep you safe and improve the roadways.
• Pay Attention – both to workers directing you and surrounding traffic; put down your phone when behind the wheel.
• Stay Calm – expect delays, leave early or take an alternate route if possible; no meeting or appointment is worth risking someone's life.
• Move Over, Slow Down – when you see emergency crews on the side of the road, please remember to move over one lane if possible and, if not, to slow down to 10 miles below the posted speed.

The top three causes of crashes in work zones – following too closely, speeding and inattention/distracted driving – are all preventable. That's where we need your help.

Our work crews are parents, children, spouses and friends. Please keep an eye out for these new lights and warning tape to help us ensure that everyone on the roads makes it home safe at the end of the day.

Roadblocks and rockstars – ‘tis the season for summer construction on the way to your event

By Rachel Terlep

It's a tale as old as time. You grab your crop top or your cowboy hat, and you head to that concert you bought tickets for back in February. You roll down the windows, turn up the music and… construction. Great.

Don't take it personally. If you're heading to a big event this summer, you're almost certainly going to encounter road work along the way. In fact, it's impossible to find a summer weekend – or even a day – where there's not a concert, game, festival or event going on.

With 93 construction projects scheduled this summer – not counting day-to-day maintenance, emergencies and local city and county projects – there is a lot to get done in a short timeframe.

It's going to be a busy summer with 93 projects planned on and near state highways, not including other regular maintenance or emergency repairs. See a larger version of this image on Flickr.

That's just this year. Speaking of which, we have some good news and some not-so-great news.

The good news is once the work is done, our state will have safer and more accessible transportation systems and improved environmental habitats. The not-so-good-news, at least for the next few years, is that we'll have more summer construction projects than usual all over the state. And we do mean all, so your regular detours around major routes may have work as well.

We'll be seeing a lot of construction projects this summer. This photo takes us down memory lane… to the summer of 2022, when we were putting the finishing touches on the I-5 Tacoma HOV program.

Why this time of year? Much of the work we do in the summer involves extensive work with concrete, and that means we need reliably dry weather for the concrete to fully cure. It also happens to coincide with a time when most of our professional sports teams are active, when we get a huge influx of concerts and when we have major events and festivals like Seafair, Watershed and Bumbershoot. That's not to mention the hundreds of smaller parades, community festivals and other events scattered throughout the season.

This is a calendar of major events happening in our state from June through September to give you an idea of why it's impossible to plan construction around those events. This calendar was created in early June, so other concerts and events may be announced as we move through summer.

How do you prepare for disruptions to your travel for the next several summers? Here's some advice from some of the musicians performing here this summer. Make sure this doesn't describe you: Salió de su casa con la mente encendida (In the words of Peso Pluma: “She left her house with her mind on fire.”)

YOU YOU YOU OUGHTA KNOW (Alanis Morissette)

Know what's happening, that is. We try to share information far and wide – from our social media accounts, to our website and app, to working with local media to get the word out. You can find our app and a list of our social media accounts at this website (scroll to the bottom to sign up for email/text alerts).

YOU SHOULD PROBABLY LEAVE (Chris Stapleton)

Early, if you can. Give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination.

G-O-O(d) T-O G-O (Chappell Roan… with a WSDOT twist)

You can take a Good to Go! It's handy if you'll use the SR 520 bridge or the SR 99 tunnel in Seattle, or I-405 to avoid heavy I-5 traffic, or possibly SR 167 to go to the Puyallup Fair or White River Amphitheater, or of course the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Having a Good To Go! pass will also save you money and ensure you pay the lowest toll rate on all these roads. You can sign up or get more information on our website.

5 A.M. TURN THE RADIO UP (Pink)

And pay attention to road alerts. P re-program vehicle radios to 530 AM and 1610 AM for highway advisory radio alerts – and be alert for other stations listed on notice signs in some areas.

THERE GOES MY HERO / HE'S ORDINARY (Foo Fighters)

This is what we'll say about you if you consider alternative ways to get around – such as buses, bicycling, Link Light Rail, the Sounder Train, Amtrack Cascades or even organizing carpools. One great thing to keep in mind for people going to Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle: Every ticket to an event at the venue is also a transit pass.

I'M SO SICK OF SEVENTEEN…minute delays (Olivia Rodrigo…with a WSDOT twist)

There's not much you can do about that, but it's good to be in the right mindset before getting in the car. Accept that delays will happen. Try to stay calm. No concert or meeting or festival is worth risking injury or death.

IS IT WORTH IT? LET ME WORK IT (Missy Elliott)

We know added delays aren't fun, and we're working to minimize the effects where we can. We simply must make these repairs and improvements to our transportation system. Ultimately, some short-term pain will be worth the long-term gain.