PORT ANGELES – It might be a dubious distinction, but Clallam County will accept the accolade anyway.
The one-lane Elwha River Road bridge was the only span among 3,000 in the state to be closed following Wednesday’s catastrophic Interstate 35W bridge collapse in Minneapolis.
On the bright side, Washington Department of Transportation officials congratulated the county on barricading it so quickly on Thursday.
“We got kudos from the state for moving on this immediately,” County Engineer Ross Tyler told county commissioners Monday.
County Administrator Jim Jones added that officials had little choice.
The county “just couldn’t” leave it open due to the risk officials would take after state and federal highway departments had recommended that it be closed, he said.
Commissioners on Monday approved the emergency closure of the bridge that Jones had authorized last week.
The elected commissioners will authorize its permanent closure in their meeting that starts at 10 a.m. today.
