Project overview
This project will demolish the existing concrete arch bridge over the Okanogan River and replace it with a new, 422 feet long curved bridge slightly north. The new bridge deck will accommodate two 12-foot vehicle lanes with 4-foot shoulders and a 14-foot-wide shared use path. Utilities will also be relocated onto the new bridge. New stormwater facilities would be added to treat roadway runoff before it enters the Okanogan River.
The project will improve the roadway and sidewalks at this location to make travel safer and more efficient for all users. The bridge deck width will be widened to allow space for wider lanes, shoulders, and an ADA compliant shared use path. The angle point on the west end of the bridge will also be removed.
What to expect
This project is scheduled to go to advertisement in early 2027, with construction planned for 2027-2028. The existing bridge will be left in place during construction to allow bikes, pedestrians, and equestrians to cross the river and vehicle traffic will be detoured to the US 97 bridge. Temporary work trestles and barges would likely be needed to construct the new bridge.
The new bridge is scheduled to open to the public in Oct. 2028.
Map of the SR 155 spur bridge replacement project in Omak.
The SR 155 bridge over the Okanogan River in Omak, Washington, was constructed in 1923 and connects SR 215 and downtown Omak on the west bank with US 97 and the Colville Reservation on the east bank. Vehicle traffic can cross at the SR 155 bridge or the US 97 bridge three miles to the northeast.
The current bridge is rated as functionally obsolete because of structural deterioration, a narrow bridge deck, and pedestrian facilities that do not comply with current standards. The tight angle where the bridge meets the road on the west end of the bridge causes vehicles to stop, slow down, or drive onto the curbing and sidewalk to avoid oncoming traffic, causing damage to the bridge and unsafe conditions for pedestrians, however the bridge is the only place where pedestrians, bicyclists, and equestrians can cross from one side of the community to the other.
