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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Today, I was pleased to welcome Governor Ferguson and the Secretary of the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Julie Meredith, to District 9 for the announcement of an expedited timeline for permanent repairs to the SR 410 White River Bridge. I want to thank the Governor for his lightning-quick response to this emergency, and for taking the time to visit our community and personally witness the significant challenges our local businesses and residents are facing.
Governor Ferguson joins Councilmember Reagan Dunn at the SR 410 White River Bridge.
The new expedited timeline is the result of an emergency contract set to begin the week of September 15, initiating permanent repairs to the bridge, which typically carries more than 22,000 vehicles per day. In the meantime, sparks are already flying as WSDOT begins the installation of five temporary steel braces, a critical step that must be completed before permanent repair work can safely begin. The full repair is expected to take six to eight weeks, with the bridge scheduled to reopen to traffic between late October and November 14.
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I’m pleased to report that the emergency contract will deploy crews working seven days a week to replace damaged steel components, heat-straighten bent members, and remove and repaint affected areas to restore the bridge to its original, pre-strike condition.
The bridge will remain fully closed to all traffic throughout the duration of the permanent repair process. While an interim reopening to a single lane of traffic was initially planned following the installation of temporary braces, the new timeline allows permanent repairs to begin immediately. This revised approach minimizes long-term disruption for local communities and will restore full two-lane traffic sooner.
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I was deeply humbled to receive a thank-you letter from the City of Enumclaw last week for my continued advocacy on behalf of our community. While recent developments—including new metro connections to the Foothills Trail Bridge, emergency proclamations at both the state and local levels, and efforts to secure financial assistance for impacted businesses—represent important progress, I remain focused on additional measures to ease the burden on residents throughout the repair process.
As construction progresses, I will continue to advocate for financial assistance for businesses and residents impacted by the closure, including working closely with fellow elected officials to pursue a disaster declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Governor Bob Ferguson and Councilmember Reagan Dunn meet with local Enumclaw business owners to strategize solutions for the White River Bridge closure.
Looking ahead, I am extremely hopeful that a deal for a temporary transit solution in Pierce County, mirroring the extended King County metro service Executive Braddock and I announced last week, can be finalized soon.
In addition to the real-time travel map, information is available on the WSDOT mobile app and by signing up for WSDOT's email updates.
It has been inspiring to see our community come together and help one another out during this challenging period. As work on the bridge progresses, I will continue collaborating with county, state, and local leaders to develop creative solutions and deliver maximum relief to affected residents.
All my best,
 Reagan Dunn
King County Councilmember
District 9
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