Regular inspections say local bridges safe

State and county officials report many bridges in this area, although old, remain in good condition. Concern about bridges in the state follows the collapse of a span on the Interstate 5 bridge over the Skagit River in the northwest corner of the state.

Whitman County Public Works Director Mark Storey said all 246 county bridges are inspected every two years. Some bridges are inspected every year, depending on the condition of the bridge.

“Inspections are about reducing risks,” Storey said. “It doesn’t mean they won’t fall down tomorrow. Our bridges are not as bad as the other side of the state.”

Bob Sevedge is the county’s bridge inspector and two more people are training to be inspectors, Storey said.

When Storey arrived in Whitman County in 2001, he said there were 92 wooden bridges. Now the county has less than 40, he said. Wood bridges are replaced with concrete, paid for by gas taxes and road levies. He said three to seven bridges are replaced every year.

Storey said inspections take several months and start in mid-October and run through January.

Hatley Bridge on the Pullman-Wawawai Road is on top of the repair list.

Harvey Coffman, state preservation engineer, said the twin bridges on the north end of Colfax, are in overall good condition, considering the US 195 bridge was built in 1931 and the State Route 26 bridge was built in 1938. Coffman said the bridges do have sidewalk and railing problems.

By federal mandate, all state bridges are inspected every two years, Coffman said. The two bridges here were last inspected in July 2012.

According to Jim Henderson, regional state bridge maintenance, the Palouse River Bridge on State Route 26, built in 1937, is in fairly good condition, with the exception of the rails and sidewalks.

The sidewalk on the Highway 26 bridge has been blocked off for use and the railing appears to be out of alignment.

“We work real hard to make sure every bridge is inspected every 24 months,” Henderson said. “If we find any concerns, we repair them.”

He also said that usual repairs amount to deck repair.

Central Ferry Bridge, built in 1969, and Lyons Ferry, built in 1927, and rebuilt in 1968, also are in good condition, Henderson said.