Celeste Dimichina, communications, 360-905-2057

CHEHALIS – On the evening of Monday, Nov. 9, the 13th Street overpass in Chehalis will open to travelers ahead of schedule, thanks to hard work by Washington State Department of Transportation contractor Farline Bridge, Inc.

The 13th Street overpass which spans Interstate 5 in Chehalis was closed to travelers on Monday, Oct. 5 as work to replace the damaged northbound span got underway.

“Each bridge replacement is unique and requires careful coordination, pre-planning and design to get it right,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Colin Newell. “We’re pleased that we could reopen the overpass ahead of schedule and we appreciate the public’s patience in detouring around the closure during construction.”

In October 2019, an over-sized load hit the northbound span of the 13th Street bridge, causing significant structural damage. The new, taller replacement structure increases clearance between the bridge and the interstate, reducing the potential for future damage from over-height loads.  

Crews have some additional weather-dependent work to wrap up this project, which will have minimal effect on travelers.