Hoquiam, WA - According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), drivers heading to ocean beaches this weekend will fare better if they travel at off-peak times through Grays Harbor due to the US 101 Simpson Avenue Bridge closure in Hoquiam. WSDOT encourages drivers to travel at lower-volume times to minimize delays. The best times to travel westbound on US 101 is before 3 p.m. and after 7 p.m. on Friday, and eastbound on US 101 before noon or after 5 p.m. on Monday. Motorists traveling west on US 101 Friday between 3 and 7 p.m. or east on Monday from noon to 5 p.m. could experience delays up to an hour or more.
WSDOT closed the US 101 Simpson Avenue Bridge on August 5, after discovering severe pile degradation in the easterly pier. Engineers determined the closure necessary for preservation of the bridge’s safety and structural integrity. The detour, uses the nearby Riverside Bridge, which is reconfigured to accommodate two-way traffic during the closure. This reduces the capacity of US 101 in Hoquiam by half so delays are expected this holiday weekend. Vehicles pulling travel trailers and motor homes are able to use the detour route. For the latest traffic information, please visit our Website at www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic or call 511. Traffic cameras on US 101 that help travelers plan ahead during the bridge closure are also available: A fix is scheduled to be in place in November that will reopen the bridge to traffic. Those repairs are expected to cost $2 million, and a permanent repair could cost between $10 million and $20 million.
For more information visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/US101/SimpsonBridgePierRepair/.
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