Motorists who routinely travel over the old concrete bridge spanning Newaukum Creek on Southeast 416th Street will have their driving habit disrupted beginning Friday.

King County will be replacing the bridge, originally built in the 1920s and widened decades later, keeping 416th out of order for nearly three months. The project is slated for completion Sept. 4, according to Jamie O’Dea, project manager with the bridge division of the county’s Department of Transportation.

O’Dea said the bridge poses no threat to the public but has simply surpassed its life expectancy. Its shallow riverbed footings have been undercut by years of erosion, she said, adding that the replacement bridge will have footings drilled into bedrock. Additionally, the design of the new bridge will open the Newaukum Creek channel, she said.

The creek is home to a variety of salmon species and also provides spawning areas for winter steelhead trout.

Replacing the bridge carries an estimated price tag of $817,000.

The city of Enumclaw is impacted by the project, as a municipal water line hangs from the current bridge as a way to cross the creek. During construction, the city will have to cap the water line on each side of the creek, then reinstall the line after the bridge work is done.

Public Works Director Chris Searcy said city water customers will not be impacted, as water mains are fed from sources on both sides of the creek.

The city’s cost is pegged at approximately $17,000.

Reach Kevin Hanson at khanson@courierherald.com or 360-802-8205.