Reminder: 10-week closure on SR 109 begins on December 1

A 10-week closure on State Route 109 that will send traffic around the Grass Creek Bridge begins on Thursday.

Work to repair the bridge comes after months of a lane closure and delays on the bridge.

The southbound lane of the bridge was closed before Memorial Day after an inspection revealed the piles could no longer support that lane. 

According to WSDOT, several timber piles have various degrees of deterioration that cannot be repaired and need new steel piles added to the bridge. 

The work starting this week will have crews installing steel piles and support beams at three of the pier locations for additional support under the southbound lane.

Rognlin’s, Inc., is expected to begin work to fix the bridge on Thursday, Dec. 1. 

This also means closing the bridge to all traffic for up to 10 weeks. 

A detour will be provided. 

“We know this is an inconvenience, so crews will work as quickly as is safely possible to restore the bridge’s load capacity. The good news, though, is the sooner the work begins, the sooner the bridge – and traffic – will be back to full capacity.”

The closure earlier this year led to alternating traffic, a reduced speed limit and extra travel time. 

“We recognize that there is never a good time to close a bridge and appreciate the community’s patience while crews work to keep this route safely open.”

Grays Harbor County travelers who use the State Route 109 Grass Creek Bridge between Hoquiam and Ocean Shores will want to plan extra time into their commute.

During the repairs, travelers will follow a signed 13-mile detour using US 101, Ocean Beach Road and Powell Road.

WSDOT published a blog that has more details about this work.