Impacts of closing 103-year-old Pierce County bridge near Mount Rainier
This list of stories illustrates how the closure of the Carbon River Fairfax Bridge cuts off direct access to Mount Rainier National Park from state Route 165. The 103-year-old, single-lane bridge closed after engineers found advanced steel deterioration and a bent support column. Emergency detours are available only for first responders and local residents, isolating popular areas of the park.
Officials are now studying three possible future options: keep the bridge closed, build a new bridge in the same location, or re-route the road entirely.
The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
NO. 1: THIS 103-YEAR-OLD PIERCE COUNTY BRIDGE IS DETERIORATING. IT HAS A NEW WEIGHT LIMIT
“Without more investment in preservation, we will continue to see more bridges weight listed,” the agency said. | Published August 20, 2024 | Read Full Story by Angelica Relente
NO. 2: PIERCE COUNTY BRIDGE TO MOUNT RAINIER CLOSED INDEFINITELY AFTER DEEMED UNSAFE
103-year-old bridge will be closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic as a safety precaution. | Published April 15, 2025 | Read Full Story by Becca Most
NO. 3: BRIDGE TO MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK PERMANENTLY CLOSED DUE TO SAFETY RISKS
“Closing the bridge was our last option,” Steve Roark, a WSDOT administrator, said in the release. “We fully understand the magnitude of this decision.” | Published April 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Isabela Lund
NO. 4: HOW IS THIS PERMANENT BRIDGE CLOSURE GOING TO AFFECT MOUNT RAINIER VISITORS?
The bridge closure isolates key areas of Mount Rainier National Park. A $1.5 million study will determine next steps. | Published April 24, 2025 | Read Full Story by Isabela Lund…