New I-90 bridge opens near Snoqualmie Pass

SNOQUALMIE PASS, Wash. — Traffic on Interstate 90 drove over the newly constructed avalanche bridge just east of Snoqualmie Pass for the first time Tuesday.

Two-way traffic was shifted onto the new eastbound bridge so construction of the westbound bridge can begin, according to a state Department of Transportation blog post.

The new bridges will allow avalanches to flow safely under traffic, replacing the winter closures that used to be required while crews triggered controlled avalanches and cleared snow from the roadway.

It’s part of an almost $1 billion project to widen and improve a 15-mile stretch of interstate east of the pass.