A 103-year-old bridge in Pierce County permanently closed in April. The state will be investigating how it was handled.
The Washington State Department of Transportation permanently closed the Carbon River Fairfax Bridge – which is located near milepost 11.5 on state Route 165 – on April 22. The closure was due to deterioration and safety concerns.
After the closure, the bridge’s absence has had a ripple effect across the area. The bridge was the only way for the public to easily access key areas of Mount Rainier National Park, such as Tolmie Peak, Mowich Lake and Spray Park. Businesses in the nearby towns of Wilkeson and Carbonado have struggled due to the lack of tourist traffic, and residents isolated on the other side of the bridge in the Carbon Canyon have previously spoken to The News Tribune about the struggles of living across a “dead-end” bridge…