State to demolish damaged I-90 overpass near Cle Elum

The Washington state Department of Transportation will demolish a portion of the Bullfrog Road overpass on I-90 near Cle Elum after an oversized truck struck the roadway late Tuesday night.

According to the agency, the truck hit the roadway at approximately 10 p.m. Tuesday, causing “significant damage.” Jeremy Weber, a Washington State Patrol spokesperson, said Wednesday . No injuries were reported in the incident.

Following an inspection , bridge engineers determined that the damaged roadway is not repairable.

Demolition was expected to begin Thursday evening. According to WSDOT, demolition should be complete and westbound I-90 should reopen by “early next week.”

Gov. Bob Ferguson has declared a state of emergency in Kittitas County, which allows the state to access emergency funds from the Federal Highway Administration. WSDOT is currently designing a new overpass and will provide details once a timeline for construction is known.

During the demolition, westbound traffic will be detoured off the highway via the exit 78 off-ramp and back on using the exit 80 on-ramp. Eastbound traffic will be detoured off the highway via the exit 85 off-ramp to state Route 903.

Meagan Lott, a WSDOT spokesperson, said Wednesday that approximately 1,500 vehicles cross the Bullfrog Road overpass each day, while 17,000 motorists drive this section of I-90 each day.

Drivers are encouraged to check WSDOT’s real -time travel map for delays or sign up for text messages when delays exceed 30 minutes on I-90 by texting “start” to 85107.