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.