The Washington State Department of Transportation on Tuesday announced the permanent closure of a 103-year-old bridge due to structural deterioration.
WSDOT said 494-foot Fairfax Bridge on State Route 165 over the Carbon River, about three miles south of Carbonado, was initially closed April 14 after an inspection revealed further deterioration of steel supports, and followup inspections resulted in the decision to permanently close the bridge Tuesday.
Photos shared by the department show rusted and corroded steel beams. One photo showed “visible deformation and compression, which can lead to bridge failure,” officials said. Another photo showed a support column that was “bent in two directions” and “starting to buckle.”…