Forest Service Closes Dilapidated Bridge Storms, Money Woes Cited For Decline Of Wooden Span Over Burnt Cabin Creek

Floods, November’s ice storm and a lack of maintenance money are to blame for the closing of a Forest Service bridge about six miles north of the Honeysuckle campground.

The wooden bridge over Burnt Cabin Creek on Forest Service Road 411 is so weak it won’t handle a 1-1/2 ton shop truck, said Craig Ely, road maintenance supervisor. Inspectors found the structure shaky last fall and the ice storm and two subsequent floods have damaged it beyond safe use.

“The guard rail’s not up to standards, the bridge deck is rotting and the high water is eroding the dirt around the abutment walls,” he said.

That portion of Forest Service Road 411, about 20 miles east of Coeur d’Alene on the Fernan Ranger District, is scheduled to be obliterated.

The Forest Service wants to keep the road and bridge open until that time, but doesn’t have the money to repair the bridge or maintain the road.

In addition, the road sends sediment into Burnt Cabin Creek and Lone Cabin Creek, two streams that are important habitat for westslope cutthroat trout.

Still, the top concern is safety, Ely said. And the bleak money picture means there will be more closures, he said.

The Burnt Creek bridge is 40 years old, and “we’ve got a lot of bridges with the same birthdate,” Ely said.

“The message we are trying to send the public is there is going to be more of this action as a precaution. We can’t afford to do business like we did 10 years ago.” , DataTimes MEMO: Cut in Spokane edition