Highway repair brings delays to SR 4 at Stella
WSDOT replacing timbers in hidden bridge along cliff route
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January 29, 2015
Wash. St. Dept. of Transportation
Failing timbers in the partial bridge of SR 4 near Stella will be replaced.
All traffic on State Route 4 west of the community of Stella will alternate through a single lane between Stella and Bunker Hill Road (milepost 49.8) beginning Friday, Jan. 30.
The Washington State Department of Transportation will close the eastbound lane for the safety of the traveling public until an aging bridge deck can be repaired. Flaggers will direct drivers to alternate through the westbound lane.
This two-lane stretch of SR 4 was built in 1930, widened in 1950 and carries about 4,200 vehicles a day. It winds along the north bank of the Columbia River, hugging a steep cliff side. At the problem site the westbound lane is built on rock, while the eastbound lane is supported by a bridge with a wood deck.
Wash. St. Dept. of Transportation
Failing timbers in the partial bridge of SR 4 near Stella will be replaced.
WSDOT has been monitoring the aging structure for several years and analysis from a recent inspection shows significant acceleration of the deterioration of the timber bridge deck on a short section of this bridge.
"The wooden deck has decayed on a 30 foot section of this bridge to a point that we believe requires immediate attention" said Don Wagner, WSDOT Regional Administrator. "Driver safety is too important to delay these repairs."
Long daytime delays are expected beginning Friday, Jan. 30. All traffic will be stopped for periods of up to 30 minutes to allow WSDOT crews to use the full roadway width for heavy equipment. For the safety of drivers and the crew, the work will be done during daylight hours.
Drivers heading to the Long Beach Peninsula should consider an alternate route, such as US 30 to US 101, on the Oregon side of the Columbia River.
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