Wishkah River Bridge repairs — another preservation tale

The century-old Wishkah River Bridge didn’t get a cake or candles when it turned 100 this spring — it got an unwelcome birthday present.

The Grays Harbor County icon was weight restricted in June, meaning large trucks like semis and others could no longer use the bridge. Vehicles over the weight limit had to detour around the bridge using U.S. 101 and state Route 107.

Have you ever hurt your knee or ankle and been told to keep your weight off it?

A bridge weight restriction is a lot like that. When Washington State Department of Transportation engineers find a problem, they may limit the amount of weight that can go over the bridge until the issue can be fixed.

The Wishkah River Bridge was given a break from heavy loads after a recent inspection showed one of its steel beams had signs of cracks and advanced decay.

During a 12-hour repair on Monday, July 21, crews fastened steel plates to the aging beam. Like a cast on a broken bone, the fix will help support the beam and allow the structure to hold more weight again. Once the repairs were made, bridge engineers determined the weight restriction could be removed.

Upcoming preservation work

It’s not all doom and gloom for the Wishkah River Bridge. WSDOT has a project scheduled to replace several mechanical components of the bridge that begins in 2026. This work will require a combination of nighttime lane closures and several four-day closures of the bridge. When the bridge is closed, travelers will detour either on the Heron Street bridge or via SR 107 and US 101.

“We know this work can be disruptive for travelers, but we also need to balance the need to maintain and preserve our critical bridge infrastructure for future generations,” a WSDOT spokesperson stated. “We will announce lane and bridge closures in advance.”

Harbor bridges

The Wishkah River Bridge is the oldest of five movable bridges on state routes in Grays Harbor County — and none of them are spring chickens.

Originally built in 1925, the Wishkah River Bridge is a single leaf bascule span bridge. A bascule bridge is a type of drawbridge that moves in an upward swing to allow for boats to pass. On average, 16,392 vehicles a day cross the Wishkah River in Aberdeen using this bridge. The sign on the counterweight portion of the bridge also greets travelers to Aberdeen.

The next oldest is the 97-year-old Simpson Avenue Bridge on US 101. Each one needs preservation work that has been postponed year after year due to dwindling transportation preservation funds.

The WSDOT maintenance crew who cares for the bridges know most of their quirks. For instance, they can’t open some bridges for boats when it gets too hot. That’s because the bridge will get stuck open when the steel in the structure expands in the heat. Other times, the bridges surprise them by blowing a hard-to-reach fuse.

These bridge structures were state-of-the-art when they were built, but that was decades ago. Keeping them moving for both boats and vehicles is becoming more challenging. The aging structures fight time, tides, temperatures and a host of challenges posed by the harsh environments.

The bigger issue

WSDOT bridge engineers across the state are constantly assessing and evaluating more than 3,400 state-owned bridges.

In Washington, they have 133 bridges that are load posted or load restricted. Each is listed as a travel alert on their website. The longer this list grows, the more challenging it is for all drivers to navigate familiar routes.

Without large scale preservation projects to repaint the bridges or, in some cases, replace them, bridges will continue to be weight restricted, load posted or closed.

While WSDOT was able to address the current issue on the Wishkah River Bridge relatively quickly, weight restrictions can often be in place for several months or years. The size of the repair and type of restriction often determines how long it takes before a fix is made. Repairs are unique to each structure.

Maintenance and preservation backlogs

US 101 Simpson Avenue Bridge in Hoquiam, age 97, needs its timber approaches replaced.

The eastbound US 12 Heron Street Bridge, also in Aberdeen, is 76 years old and needs to be replaced. WSDOT plans on replacing the bridge deck in 2026.

SR 109 Grass Creek Bridge north of Hoquiam needs to be replaced. WSDOT performed an emergency repair in 2022 to address excessive rot in some of the bridge’s timber piles — but it’s not a permanent fix.

WSDOT strives to combine careful management and schedules to maximize bridge lifespans. However, due to many years of underfunding, they simply don’t have enough funds to meet all bridge preservation needs. Current strategic investment focuses on the “worst of the worst” bridges and pavements.

— WSDOT’s Olympic Region Communications contributed to this report.

Bridge crews fabricated steel supports to fasten to the corroded beam on the aging bridge. Due to the age of the structure, many of its parts must be custom made.

When certain vehicles are restricted from using a bridge, signs are placed approaching the bridge notifying travelers. These signs were placed on US 12 near the Wishkah River Bridge after the bridge was weight restricted in June 2025. The signs were covered on July 22, after repairs were completed.