WSDOT Schedules Replacement of State Route 508 Bridge Near Onalaska

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Travelers who take state Route 508 over the Newaukum River east of Onalaska will soon be crossing on a new concrete bridge. 

On Tuesday, the Washington State Department of Transportation will start construction on a two-lane bridge to replace the current single-lane steel structure. The $8.5 million project is slated to be finished by the end of this year, marking the end of a bridge that has stood since 1930.

“It’s had a good run,” said WSDOT spokeswoman Tamara Greenwell. “It’s served the state well.”

The historic South Fork Newaukum River Bridge is being transferred to a new owner who the state says is committed to “preserving the historic nature of the structure.” 

WSDOT would not provide details on the new owner or plans for the bridge. Greenwell said the department worked closely to identify an owner who understood and could handle the engineering demands of repurposing the structure, and who could do its history justice.



The project is a long-term solution to a stopgap that’s kept traffic flowing over the river in recent years. 

“Following a routine inspection in early 2015, the bridge was deemed functionally obsolete, meaning it could no longer carry the weight of modern day traffic,” Greenwell said, noting the heavy logging trucks that often use that route.

WSDOT put a temporary “Bailey” bridge over the rusted structure, allowing single-lane traffic to continue, but now it’s ready to begin work on a longer-term fix. During construction, the department says, travelers should expect delays of up to 20 minutes, with traffic continuing to alternate on a single lane over the bridge. 

The current bridge will be utilized until the new one is ready to open, but significant delays are expected during girder installation and when the traffic shifts to the new bridge.