PORT ANGELES — A nine-day closure of the U.S. Highway 101 bridge over the Elwha River is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. July 12.
Traffic will be re-routed along state Highway 112 and state Highway 113 until the new bridge opens at 5 p.m. July 22, according to a WSDOT press release.
During the closure, work crews will construct the approaches to the new bridge and remove the road to the old bridge.
Prior to the closure, as early as Monday, the contractor will install temporary traffic signals at mileposts 239.36 and 239.93, and travelers will encounter single-lane alternating traffic across the bridge and a reduced speed limit of 35 mph.
The new bridge is 40 feet wide with two 12-foot lanes and 8-foot-wide shoulders to accommodate people who walk or roll.
The new bridge span meets modern earthquake standards and has a gentler curve on its westbound approach.
After the new bridge opens, crews will begin demolishing the old bridge, which was built at 1913, and will continue installing engineered log jams to help restore more natural river conditions.
The entire project is expected to be complete in the fall.
For more information, visit http://wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/search-projects/us-101-elwha-river-bridge-bridge-replacement.
For real-time traffic information, visit https://wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/Map or download the WSDOT app.
