By Pepper Fisher
PORT ANGELES – Now that the final set of massive concrete girders have been placed on the new Elwha River Bridge west of Port Angeles, we can see how the new layout differs from the existing bridge.
Based on the photos we’ve been getting form the onsite crew, the new bridge drastically rounds out the sharp turn on the east side of the river that travelers have been taking for almost 100 years to get on and off the bridge, and will make the turn onto Olympic Hot Springs Road much safer.
So, what’s next in the building process? That’s what we asked WSDOT’s Mark Krulish.
“So, the next steps are to build the bridge deck, which as you imagine, is building the entire deck. We’ll build the abutment walls that attach on each side of the bridge, where it meets the ground on each side. And then we will do the tie-ins from the existing roadway. And the tie-ins are the next real key milestone, because that’s going to require a nine-day closure of the old US 101 Elwha River Bridge.”
You heard right. Sometime in late May or early June of next year, there’s going to be a 9 day closure of the existing bridge while they build the tie-ins from the new bridge to the highway. 9 consecutive days where all traffic will detour onto SR 112 and SR 113.
As for the timeline for completing the bridge and opening up to traffic…
“I would expect the bridge to be open to traffic in the second half of 2024. We should be finished with the entire project, including the demolition of the old bridge, by the end of the year.”
(Photos by Connor Gosset)