BUCKLEY – The Washington State Department of Transportation has finished an accelerated planning study focused on access across the Carbon River Canyon. The study was done following the closure of the State Route 165 Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge. WSDOT representatives will cover the results at a community meeting on Thursday, Aug. 21 at the White River Early Learning Center Gymnasium.
SR 165 Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge Planning Study community meeting
When: 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21
Where: White River Early Learning Center Gymnasium, 27515 120th Street East, Buckley, WA
Details: Doors open at 5 p.m. At 5:30 p.m., WSDOT Olympic Region staff will give an update on planning study outcomes and next steps. Time is set aside afterwards for questions.
The 103-year-old SR 165 Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge was permanently closed on April 22 after inspections revealed new deterioration of steel supports across the bridge. Photos show the bridge support column is bent in two directions and starting to buckle.
WSDOT initiated a planning study to evaluate options to address the bridge condition. Those options include:
- Keep the bridge closed and not replace it.
- Bridge replacement in the same vicinity.
- Re-routing SR 165 on a new alignment to the east or west of Carbon River Canyon.
A draft of the study report will be available to view on the SR 165 Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge Planning Study webpage the week of Aug.18.
Background
The 494-foot-long bridge opened to travelers in 1921. In July 2024, the bridge’s load rating was reduced to 16,000 pounds, or 8 tons. This was the third restriction imposed on the bridge since 2009. In 2013, commercial vehicles were restricted from crossing the bridge. WSDOT published a blog in July 2024 about the structural challenges the bridge faced brought on by years of deferred preservation due to lack of funding.