BLACK DIAMOND – Travelers who use the 93-year-old State Route 169 Green River/Dan Evans Bridge will continue to experience delays. One-way alternating traffic across the bridge controlled by automated signals is now in place around-the-clock until further notice. The signals are pre-programmed based on traffic patterns. Crews will monitor backups and adjust as needed. 

Background

During a scheduled inspection on Monday, Aug. 4, Washington State Department of Transportation bridge preservation crews discovered cracking and advanced corrosion in the bridge’s steel stringers located beneath both the northbound and southbound lanes. The bridge was closed to all travelers to ensure public safety, while additional inspections continued. 

The state bridge inspectors have determined that one lane across the bridge can be reopened to traffic using the center of the bridge with no weight restrictions.

Next steps

One-way alternating traffic will remain in place while bridge engineers continue to evaluate and formulate a repair. When repairs begin, travelers should expect to see a full closure of the bridge with a 9-mile detour. WSDOT has a long history of caring for the SR 169 Green River Bridge and understands the importance of this corridor for local travel, freight and emergency services. WSDOT will provide updates as more information becomes available.

About the bridge

The Green River Bridge is a steel truss bridge built between 1932 and 1933, spanning 688 feet long and 28 feet wide. It was constructed section by section to maintain balanced weight during assembly, with beams joined using pins and rivets. Traffic data from 2023 shows on average 11,364 vehicles a day cross the bridge. 

WSDOT regularly inspects bridges and categorizes bridges by condition. The condition scale is good, fair and poor. These condition ratings help plan inspections and schedule long-term repairs. The Green River Bridge is officially rated in “poor” condition. While earlier inspections had documented advanced corrosion, it had not previously been considered structurally significant until this most recent assessment. WSDOT crews can and do close or restrict any bridge that is deemed not safe for travel. 

As of June 2024:

• 133 WSDOT-owned bridges were load-posted or load-restricted.
• 315 WSDOT-owned bridges are at least 80 years old.

A bridge is expected to have a service life of 75 years based on current standards. The average age of state-owned vehicular bridges is 51 years.

Real-time travel information is available from the WSDOT mobile app, the WSDOT Travel Center Map or by signing up for WSDOT's email updates.