The state Route 410 White River Bridge between Enumclaw and Buckley is scheduled to reopen to drivers by 5 a.m. Friday, April 10, when emergency repairs to the bridge are complete.
To ensure driver safety, the Washington State Department of Transportation closed the bridge on Saturday, April 4, after a routine inspection uncovered recent damage to the bridge’s arched steel overhead support structure. Bridge engineers believe an over-height load recently struck the bridge in the westbound lanes, putting a large dent in a horizontal beam. A low clearance warning sign is posted along the shoulder approaching the bridge.
“We know this bridge is extremely important to the communities and it’s an important route for commuters in southeast King County,” said WSDOT Assistant Regional Administrator Dave McCormick. “We’re pleased the temporary emergency repairs can be executed quickly so the bridge can be reopened to drivers before week’s end.”
PCL Civil Constructors began working around the clock on Sunday, April 5. The contractor placed containment systems around the bridge Monday, April 6, and began removing the paint from the steel members that are in need of repair. The contractor crews will temporarily repair the steel support beam by straightening it and securing it to vertical beams. The bridge will be permanently repaired later this year.
WSDOT engineers estimate the total cost of both the temporary repair and permanent fix to the SR 410 White River Bridge at approximately $1.5 million.
“We’re asking for anyone who might have witnessed a vehicle carrying an over-height load that may have hit this bridge to contact the Washington State Patrol at (425) 401-7788,” said McCormick.
Detour information
Drivers in the area are encouraged to allow extra time. SR 410 is closed to all but local traffic at 244th Avenue Southeast in Enumclaw and Park Avenue in Buckley. Drivers traveling between Enumclaw and Buckley can detour via State Route 164, State Route 18, State Route 167 and SR 410. Local residents can call (253) 372-3933 for a recorded message about the bridge status.
The SR 410 White River Bridge is a steel truss bridge built in 1949. It was last inspected April 20, 2013. Approximately 20,000 vehicles use this stretch of SR 410 daily.
WSDOT publishes minimum and maximum bridge heights for each direction of travel on the WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Services website and the state route bridge vertical clearance trip planner. The minimum and maximum measurements may fall inside or outside the traveling lanes, including shoulders. If an operator has an oversized load between the minimum and maximum measurements they are responsible for checking the vertical clearance prior to travel.
Hyperlinks within the release:
- Recent damage: www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/sets/72157651338300029/
- WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Services website: www.wsdot.wa.gov/CommercialVehicle/
- State route bridge vertical clearance trip planner: www.wsdot.wa.gov/data/tools/bridgeclearance/
