Source: North County Outlook
Built in 1916, the scenic but single-lane Pilchuck Creek Bridge on SR 9 north of Arlington is one of the oldest bridges in the state. On March 12 crews began minor work in preparation for a project to replace the concrete structure.
The new bridge will be wider, with two lanes and shoulders. It will also be in a slightly different place to help smooth out the sharp curves leading to the bridge.
For the next couple weeks, crews will be working from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily to install silt fencing and signs while removing some trees and surveying. WSDOT doesn’t anticipate any cause delays for drivers unless crews need to stop traffic for a few minutes to safely drop a tree or unload equipment. Once this minor work is completed, the project will be on hold until May when bridge construction begins.
Of the 3,600 state-owned bridges in Washington, the 95-year-old Pilchuck Creek bridge is one of the oldest. And at just 17 feet wide, the single-lane bridge is too narrow for modern safety and traffic standards, requiring drivers from either direction to take turns crossing it. The SR 9 corridor in Snohomish County is the only alternative to I-5 and serves a number of rapidly growing communities.
The new bridge is expected to be in place by summer of 2014. The projected cost is nearly $18 million.