Nearly 30 bridges in Whatcom and Skagit counties are considered to be in “poor” condition, according to an analysis by Cascadia Daily News following the city’s sudden closure of the Electric Avenue bridge over Whatcom Creek for structural failures.
The 600-plus bridges in the two counties are a vital part of the state’s infrastructure. With an average age of about 52 years old, the structures are also part of the nation’s aging infrastructure, representing billions of dollars of necessary investment. In 2021, U.S. bridge repairs were estimated at $125 billion by the Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.
“Much of our infrastructure is aging, just like the rest of us, and a lot of it is due to be replaced in the next couple of decades,” said Michael Olinger, the assistant director of Bellingham Public Works. “So, securing funding for those replacements is a challenge.”
Washington’s current maintenance and preservation backlog of bridge projects is about $1.01 billion per year and is only expected to grow as funding fails to keep pace with need, explained James Poling, assistant communications manager for the Washington Department of Transportation Northwest Region.
“We are seeing a lot of bridges that are in or past their lifespans, and our preservation is very targeted,” Poling said. “We’re trying to extend the lifespan beyond the expected lifespan in a lot of locations.”
The good news: Repairs or replacements for many of the two counties’ “poor-condition” bridges are already funded and underway.
Most of the older bridges in the state were built with the idea of being functional for about 50 years. However, regular inspections and maintenance have helped extend their lives. In Whatcom and Skagit counties, more than 400 bridges were built more than 50 years ago.
However, bridge condition, not age, primarily determines what priority a structure is given when it comes to maintenance and replacement.
This rating of “good,” “fair” or “poor” is determined by the condition of the structure’s deck (where the tires meet the road), superstructure (the rest of the bridge that’s above ground) and substructure (foundation and other elements below ground).
“It is important to note that if a bridge is open to the traveling public, it is safe,” said James Lee, the bridge and hydraulics manager for Whatcom County Public Works. “A bridge with a poor condition indicates that the bridge has an element that is designated as poor, not necessarily that the entire bridge structure is in poor condition.”
The deck is often the first part of the infrastructure to deteriorate because it is in constant contact with vehicles. After a certain point, a “delam” can form, which is where the top layer of the concrete separates away, ultimately leading to potholes and other issues.
While all three factor into the condition evaluation of a bridge, inspectors’ biggest concerns are the status of the substructure and superstructure.
“Deck is important, but typically you’re not going to have a bridge failure because the deck is bad,” said Forrest Jones, a lead bridge inspector with Skagit County Public Works. “If your bridge is going to fail, it’s going to be, most likely, due to the substructure and superstructure.”
Bridges considered in ‘poor’ condition
Skagit and Whatcom counties have 297 bridges in good condition, 345 bridges in fair condition and about 30 in poor condition, according to the most recently published data on the Washington Geospatial Open Data Portal.
Washington state is responsible for 14 bridges that are considered to be in poor condition while Whatcom and Skagit counties are responsible for about 11.
The City of Bellingham is responsible for four: James Street Bridge, Central-Chestnut Dock Bridge, Meador Avenue Bridge and the Electric Avenue Bridge. While Eldridge Bridge was not listed as being poor condition in the data reviewed by CDN, the city confirmed that it also needed to be replaced. The city has secured $25 million for that project, and the design phase is expected to start soon.
Unlike most bridges in poor condition reviewed by CDN, the primary issue for bridges in Bellingham was the substructure — not the deck condition.
The commonality for the four bridges, all built or rebuilt between 1959 and 1962, is the reliance on wooden pilings, piers and beams, Olinger explained.
The Meador Bridge was the first of the four identified as being in poor condition by the city, after it was determined the pilings and beams were rotting from the inside out. Funding for replacement of James Street Bridge and Meador Bridge has already been secured and construction is underway. The city has not yet secured funding for the replacement of Electric Avenue Bridge, estimated at $7.7 million. Repairs were not necessary for Central-Chestnut Dock Bridge, which was converted to a pedestrian bridge, Olinger said.
A June inspection of the 1959 Electric Avenue Bridge revealed a significant deterioration of one of the timber pile cap beams. Decay resulted in crushing and bulging, indicating a complete loss of the beam’s ability to support weight, according to the city. As a temporary solution, one lane was reopened to traffic on June 11, though vehicles above 24 tons are not permitted.
“Electric Avenue is the bridge that we’ve been trying to find grant funding for the last couple years,” he added, the bridge carries 10,500 vehicles weekly.
The projects have been fully funded by federal money, including the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that was set to provide $550 billion over fiscal years 2022 through 2026, explained Bellingham Public Works Director Eric Johnston.
Another issue bridge inspectors pay close attention to is scouring, which is essentially the loss of material around the substructure.
Jones explained that once the scouring rating dipped below a certain threshold, his team would create a plan for the bridge to ensure its continued safety of use. In Skagit County, 129 bridges meet this criteria and 143 such bridges in Whatcom County.
Two of the bridges most vulnerable to scouring in the region are the Bagley Creek Bridge and the Nooksack River Overflow Bridge in Whatcom County, both the responsibility of the state.
“We do have bridges that have scouring concerns on them and we’re watching them,” Olinger said of bridges in Bellingham. “We also bring in special inspectors to [scuba] dive those structures every couple of years.”
Jones pointed out that all of their work is also reviewed by the state and federal governments, providing layers of protection and redundancy. These also include the occasional audit.
While the state, county and city governments are working to repair bridges, there is only so much that can be done to extend the lifespan of a bridge, said Poling, noting that chronic underfunding is putting the state’s “transportation system at risk.”
“Ultimately, preservation is the key to maintaining the status quo. It’s not necessarily sexy by any means,” Poling said. “It’s not a brand new ribbon-cutting, [it] is not a brand new feature to our network. But ultimately, our core is a core service of our transportation network.”
Isaac Stone Simonelli is CDN’s enterprise/investigations reporter; reach him at isaacsimonelli@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 127.
