Lewis and Clark Bridge will close for up to eight days for repairs starting July 16
The nearest highway crossings are the Astoria-Megler Bridge and the Interstate Bridge; the Wahkiakum County Ferry will be open but with priority given to emergency services.
The Lewis and Clark Bridge will close for up to eight days for repairs starting Sunday July 16.
July 5, 2023
Contacts:
WSDOT, Kelly Hanahan, 360-905-2076
ODOT, Don Hamilton, 503-704-7452
The Lewis and Clark Bridge will close at 8 p.m. Sunday, July 16 for up to eight days while crews make repairs on the 93-year-old bridge across the Columbia River between Rainier and Longview, Washington.
During the closure, crews from Combined Construction, Inc. will replace two of the bridge’s three expansion joints and a fractured floor beam. The repairs are necessary to ensure the long-term life of the bridge.
Pedestrians, bicyclists and emergency vehicles will be able to cross the bridge except for a 10-hour period during replacement of the fractured floor beam when no traffic at all will be allowed. The floor beam replacement is expected to take place during the first days of the closure.
The Lewis and Clark Bridge is the only span across the Columbia River between the Astoria-Megler Bridge at the river’s mouth and the Interstate Bridge between Portland and Vancouver. The closure may create hardships for communities along the Columbia River in Clatsop and Columbia counties in Oregon and require residents to reschedule medical and other important appointments.
Ferry Service
An alternative may be the Wahkiakum County Ferry between Westport and Cathlamet, Washington, which will run twice an hour, 24 hours a day while the bridge is closed. The ferry, though, has extremely limited capacity and should be reserved for urgent matters that do not require an ambulance. Travelers choosing the ferry should be prepared for lengthy wait times.
“Safety is our number one priority during the closure of this critical bridge, for travelers, construction crews and those who need access across the river for life-saving medical care,” said WSDOT Southwest Region Administrator Carley Francis. “We are asking the public to avoid use of the low-capacity Wahkiakum County Ferry in order to prioritize its use for first responders, healthcare workers and patients needing medical care who can’t wait.”
The bridge expansion joint replacement project had long been planned. But last April 12, bridge inspectors discovered the fractured floor beam resulting in a 12-hour emergency closure. Prior to that discovery, the bridge was scheduled to close for up to six days for expansion joint replacement work. The closure has now been extended to accommodate the additional work of installing a new floor beam.
For more information, go to WSDOT’s project web site.
Some night single lane closures will be necessary after completion of the July 16 full bridge closure.
Depending on where people begin and end their travel, using a detour could add upwards of two and a half hours of travel time. People who use the Washington SR 433 Lewis and Clark Bridge to reach scheduled medical services should plan their travel with this in mind and contact their providers to confirm or reschedule appointments.
The public can stay up-to-date on news and closure dates by subscribing to project email alerts.
For real time traffic updates in Oregon, go to TripCheck.com.
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