PORT ANGELES — A planned, temporary closure of the Elwha River bridge in February has been postponed indefinitely to allow Clallam County officials to finalize a contract for installation of a new railing on the automobile deck of the 85-foot-tall bridge west of Port Angeles.
The 42-inch-tall precautionary rail will consist of two-inch tubes and replace the temporary wooden railing that has been on the bridge since it opened in late September.
The weathering steel railing is a safety precaution for bicyclists and pedestrians who cross the scenic river canyon on the vehicle deck instead of the pedestrian path that is suspended by cables below the 28-foot-wide car deck.
A 21-day closure was tentatively scheduled to begin on Monday.
“We do not have a firm commitment by our contractor, and we don’t have our firm commitment from Olympia yet,” County Engineer Ross Tyler told the three commissioners on Tuesday.
The county needs formal permission from the state to install the railing and an agreement with contractor Parsons RCI.
Clallam County already has close to $100,000 in prefabricated railing in supply.
The road department will notify the commissioners and the public when a temporary closure is necessary.
Most pedestrians and cyclists cross the canyon on the 14-foot-wide pedestrian deck, which is part of the Olympic Discovery Trail.
Some use the 28-foot-wide vehicle deck along the Elwha River Road. The existing railing on the vehicle deck is sufficient for cars and trucks, Tyler has said. The precautionary railing will be an added safety measure for cyclists.
The county wanted to install low railings on the vehicle deck to allow motorists and their passengers to taken in the scenery of the Elwha River Valley.
With a 589-foot span, the two-lane $19.7 million double-deck bridge replaced the one-lane Warren-truss-type steel bridge that served the county from 1914 to 2007.
In other action, the commissioners approved the purchase of a used excavator for $160,974 including tax.
The 2007 excavator is in good condition, county officials said, adding that the used excavator costs about $85,000 less than a new one would.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
