Washington state lawmakers have introduced legislation to replace the Fairfax Bridge in Pierce County. Doing so would restore access to sections of Mount Rainier National Park, which has been cut off since the bridge was shut down last year.
The Fairfax Bridge has spanned the Carbon River for over a century. But last April, state inspectors found structural damage that led them to close it permanently. This caused a ripple effect across the surrounding area, as the bridge was the only way for the public to access a stretch of State Route 165 and drive to western portions of Mount Rainier National Park.
The closure led to economic hardship for local communities that rely on park tourism. It also forced residents living south of the Carbon River to navigate a rough logging road to access basic amenities such as groceries and medical care.
Now, state lawmakers have introduced legislation to build a new bridge as soon as possible by tapping funds earmarked for climate projects. If passed, the bill would declare the Fairfax Bridge closure an emergency and allow state officials to expedite construction of a new bridge. The legislation has drawn bipartisan support.
Republican State Rep. Andrew Barkis is the primary sponsor of the bill in the state House. Barkis' district includes areas in Thurston and Pierce Counties, including areas around Mount Rainier.
“People there cannot wait eight to 10 years for this to be replaced. We need to do this in the next couple of years,” Barkis said. “We can’t ignore our rural communities.”
The Washington Department of Transportation is conducting its own assessment of whether or not to replace the bridge. The agency estimates that its preferred plan would cost approximately $160 million and the project would span around six years.
According to Barkis, Washington has a duty to replace the Fairfax Bridge, especially since the Department of Transportation had not performed preventative maintenance on it for decades, which contributed to its deterioration. Steel bridges need to be regularly painted to prevent corrosion, but the Fairfax Bridge had not been repainted for over 30 years, according to a department blog post.
“It doesn’t matter if there is one or 5,000 people that are using this,” Barkis said. “We have an obligation to the people who use that state highway, who pay taxes to use that state highway, to make sure that highway is open and viable.”
Since last spring, residents and business owners in communities near the Fairfax Bridge have pushed for the state to replace it. The small, historic mining town of Wilkeson has been at the center of these conversations since its tourist economy stalled as a result of the bridge closure. Mayor Jayme Peloli said she’s grateful for Barkis’ dedication to building a new bridge and restoring access to the national park.
“The bill represents a very long overdue validation of what our community has been saying since the bridge closure: that ‘this situation is serious. It’s harmful. It’s unacceptable.’ We're looking for accountability,” she said.
If passed, the bill would use revenue generated by the state’s Climate Commitment Act to build a new bridge, even though it falls outside of the law’s current stipulations.
The 2021 climate law caps greenhouse gas emissions in Washington and auctions off carbon allowances to big emitters, such as industrial operations. This has generated billions of dollars that are supposed to go towards to climate initiatives.
But the state is facing a $2.3 billion budget shortfall, and lawmakers are looking for alternative ways to fund projects. The legislation to use climate funds to replace the bridge comes as Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson is proposing to use over $500 million generated by the climate law to support the state’s Working Families Tax Credit.
Environmental groups across the state are against using climate act revenue for projects that aren’t related to the climate. The Environmental Priorities Coalition is opposing the governor's plan and warns that the state's budget shortfall means "climate and environmental programs are at risk of deeper funding cuts and diversions."
Both versions of the bill to replace the Fairfax Bridge have been referred to the state House and Senate Transportation Committees for further consideration.
