How is this permanent bridge closure going to affect Mount Rainier visitors?

Officials are still grappling with the complications that come from closing the Carbon River Fairfax Bridge – a 103-year-old bridge that was the only way to access key areas of Mount Rainier National Park from state Route 165.

The Washington State Department of Transportation announced it was permanently closing the 494-foot, single-lane bridge on Tuesday due to safety risks. Earlier this month, WSDOT announced they were closing the bridge “indefinitely” after crews inspected it and saw the steel supports deteriorating.

The closure isolates the Carbon River Ranger Station as well as the Carbon River and Mowich Lake areas of the park. Visitors who want to see those areas will now have to use another entrance to the park and hike many miles on likely overnight trips. There is no way for the public to access those areas by vehicle.

There is a 9-mile emergency detour for first responders and local property owners, but that detour is not open to the public, WSDOT said in its news release this week.

Bridge to Mount Rainier National Park permanently closed due to safety risks

What parts of the park are impacted the most?

The News Tribune reached out to Mount Rainier National Park to ask about how the bridge closure will impact guests’ experience, crowds at the other entrances to the park, trail maintenance, revenue and more. The News Tribune reached out twice on Wednesday and twice on Thursday. A spokesperson was not reachable by deadline.

The Carbon River and Mowich Lake areas are most impacted by the closure. Meilee Anderson, spokesperson for Visit Rainier, a nonprofit tourism organization, said in an email to The News Tribune that these areas are home to quieter trails that access Chenuis Falls, Ranger Falls, Spray Falls, Spray Park, Tolmie Peak and other places.

“These spots may not see the same volume as Paradise or Sunrise, but they’re cherished by returning visitors looking for a less crowded, more rugged experience,” Anderson wrote.

Anderson also said the bridge closure will impact camping access. Mowich Lake and Ipsut Creek had a combined 33 sites for camping, and now those spots are inaccessible.

“While these represent a small portion of the park’s total capacity, they still played an important role – especially with Ohanapecosh Campground closed for construction this year,” Anderson wrote. “We anticipate increased pressure on Cougar Rock and White River Campgrounds. While there are many alternative campsites outside the park, visitors hoping to camp inside the park may find options more limited this season.”

According to a report from the park, the Carbon River entrance saw 15,900 visits in 2024. There have been 430 in 2025 to date.

In an email to The News Tribune, the Washington Trails Association said hikers can visit their hiking guide at wta.org/go-outside/hikes to find other trails. Hikes that are impacted by the road closure will have an alert at the top.

What led to the bridge closing?

The News Tribune reached out to WSDOT for more information about what led to the bridge’s deterioration and closure. WSDOT directed The News Tribune to a blog post from July 31, 2024 that talks about the history of the bridge.

“The center portion of the bridge is built out of steel, while the bridge approaches are timber. Steel deteriorates over time as it’s exposed to rain or snow,” the post said. “Water on steel over time forms rust, which weakens the steel. We combat rust on bridges by painting them.”

The bridge – which opened in 1921 – hasn’t been painted since 1988, the blog post said.

“Since then, we have repeatedly recommended this bridge as a candidate for replacement due to its overall condition and age,” the post said. “In 2023, it was removed as a candidate for replacement due to funding constraints.”

In June 2023, there were 55 steel bridges due for painting, 47 were overdue, and six were in the process of being painted.

WSDOT said in the initial news release announcing the bridge’s closure that the average lifespan of a state-owned vehicle bridge is 51 years. WSDOT placed three load restrictions on the bridge between 2009 and 2024, and restricted commercial vehicles from going over it in 2013.

“The bridge is competing with other aging bridges across the state,” the 2024 blog post said at the time. “As of June 2023, 315 of our 3,384 bridges were 80 years or older, accounting for 9.3% of all state-owned bridges. Factors such as traffic volumes play into which bridge rises to the top of the list for replacement.”

WSDOT said lack of funding led to the Fairfax bridge not being painted for 37 years.

“Decades of underfunding maintenance and preservation has resulted in a backlog of work needed [to] keep our transportation system in full operation. We do our best with the funding we are given by the Legislature,” the blog post said. “We continue to work with state leaders to communicate our needs and the risks associated with those needs being unmet.”

In a follow-up phone call, The News Tribune asked Cara Mitchell, communications director for WSDOT, how much funding the agency would have needed to paint the bridge and keep it in working condition. She said she didn’t know.

“I don’t [know] at this time,” Mitchell said. “As the maintenance and preservation work gets deferred on, there’s inflationary cost – so the cost changes.”

WSDOT is considering three options now that the bridge is closed. They include:

* Keeping the bridge closed and not replacing it.

* Building a replacement bridge in the same area.

* Re-routing state Route 165 to the east or west of Carbon River Canyon.

Asked what those options would cost, roughly, Mitchell said that’s not clear.

“The input we receive from the community will be included with the alternatives that are being analyzed,” Mitchell said. “For example, if we are re-routing state Route 165 … we look at the cost of building retaining walls, slope and soil stability, whether there are culverts that need replacing [and] things that need replacing.”

When The News Tribune asked about the logistics of re-routing state Route 165, Mitchell said they are still trying to figure that out. She said they are in the process of scheduling an in-person open house for the public, which is tentatively scheduled for early June. They are aiming to have an online open house go live shortly after Memorial Day.

On WSDOT’s website, there is a page for the planning study that will help the agency examine its options. The website said the study is being paid for by $1.5 million in state funding.

The agency’s release Tuesday said it was “actively working with the Governor’s Office, partnering agencies and the state Legislature on all possible next steps.”

Asked about next steps, Governor’s Office spokesperson Brionna Aho shared a link to the WSDOT study and said in an email to The News Tribune Thursday: “We understand the impact that this bridge closure has on communities. We want to hear from folks affected by the closure as we look at our options.”

Residents can get updates on the study at wsdot.wa.gov.