An oversized truck load that struck the Bullfrog Road overpass on Interstate 90 near Cle Elum earlier this week caused such extensive damage that state engineers say the bridge cannot be repaired and must be demolished, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
Governor Bob Ferguson issued an emergency declaration Thursday for Kittitas County to help the state access federal recovery funds and expedite repair work.
The westbound lanes of I-90 and the Bullfrog Road overpass remain closed while crews work to remove the damaged structure.
“Once that’s done, then they can kind of do some cleanup, and then hopefully we can get the westbound lanes back open by early next week. This isn’t a fix by any means. This is just the removal of this section of the overpass,” said communications manager Meagan Lott.
The crash happened Monday, Oct. 21, when a westbound over-height load hit the Bullfrog Road bridge at Exit 80.
WSDOT bridge engineers inspected the overpass on Wednesday and determined that the span over the westbound lanes was beyond repair.
The eastbound side of the bridge was not affected.
WSDOT has hired Scarsella Bros., Inc. under an emergency contract to demolish the damaged section. They’re prepared to work fast, even with the rain on the way.
“The contractor that’s been working on improving I-90 between Hyek and Easton, so they’re familiar with this type of weather. But again, there may be some challenges that might arise with the weather,” said Lott.
Demolition work began Thursday night at 6 p.m. and will continue through Saturday, Oct. 25, weather permitting.
One eastbound lane will close during that period, and westbound I-90 traffic will detour using the off- and on-ramps at Exit 80.
“This section of I-90 does see about 17,000 vehicles a day, so taking that amount of traffic and slowing them down, and putting them on an on and off ramp to get around the closure is going to create some backups,” Lott added.
If conditions allow, demolition is expected to be completed and westbound lanes reopened early next week.
WSDOT engineers are designing a new westbound overpass to replace the demolished structure.
A timeline for construction will be announced later.
©2025 Cox Media Group
