CARBANADO, Wash. — Heads up to visitors at Mount Rainier National Park.
Effective immediately, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has closed the State Route 165 Carbon River Fairfax Bridge to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic until further notice.
The single-lane bridge is located three miles south of Carbonado in Pierce County.
The bridge provides access to Mount Rainier National Park’s Mowich Lake Entrance and Carbon River Ranger Station and other outdoor recreation areas. Due to the closure of the bridge, there is no public access from SR 165 to these areas.
Early findings from WSDOT indicate that the bridge had new deterioration of the steel supports from the century-old structure. WSDOT engineers will be further analyzing the damage and have closed the bridge as a safety precaution.
In 2024, WSDOT signed an emergency declaration that expedited work for an emergency detour route for first responders and local property owners south of the bridge.
The emergency detour route is not open to the public.
There is no funding available to replace the bridge at this point, WSDOT said.
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