Black Diamond and Enumclaw were reconnected Friday when the State Route 169 bridge spanning the Green River reopened to traffic.
Crews with the Washington state Department of Transportation closed the bridge last November for emergency long-term repairs.
State Route 169 is a key transportation and tourist corridor into the Cascade Mountains that starts in Renton.
“This project was needed to provide a safer bridge for the people of Black Diamond and Enumclaw who depend on it each day to get to school and to work,” said Paula Hammond, Washington Transportation Secretary.
The repair work was more than a year in the making.
Phase one began in June 2008, when geotechnical engineers noticed small movements in the ground beneath the south end of the bridge. The transportation department hired contractor crews to make low-cost, low-impact repairs. Crews installed soil nail walls, a maze of drains and sprayed the area with concrete to stabilize the soil and protect the bridge supports.
In November 2008, torrential downpours caused the earth to shift at an unacceptable rate, according to a transportation department press release. Transportation department geotechnical engineers closed the bridge to make more substantial repairs to protect drivers and the bridge.
The state spent nearly $8 million in federal emergency funding and made repairs from November 2008 through this June. Crews built a 160-foot-long, 90-foot-deep retaining wall to manage the pressure of an ancient 300-acre landslide. Crews finished the wall this month.
“We understand that it had to be closed for safety reasons,” said State Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn. “But it was still tough.”
“This has been especially hard on Black Diamond, which counts on tourism dollars from pass-through traffic to Mount Rainier on SR 169,” Black Diamond Mayor Howard Botts said.
“Enumclaw counts on the road for tourists, as well,” Enumclaw Mayor John Wise said. “The economic downturn was tough to weather. We’re just happy the road is finally open.”
The bridge reopened to traffic at 3 p.m. Friday. Drivers are encouraged to use the road to get to Mount Rainier and the King County Fair in Enumclaw, which begins July 16.
