Yes, it’s outside of our immediate area, but if you plan to do any travelling this summer in Stevens or Ferry counties, you should be warned that the US 395/SR 20 Columbia River bridge will be under construction.
The bridge will be resurfaced for four months starting in July to fix more than seven decades of wear and tear. To inform everyone about the project, the Washington State Department of Transportation will host an informational open house on March 28 to discuss anticipated traffic impacts, oversize load restrictions and a lengthy detour route. The open house is 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Stevens County Sheriff/Ambulance Training Room, 425 N. Hwy 395 in Colville.
Crews will rebuild the bridge roadway one side at a time, and the WSDOT anticipates everything from 10-minute delays to full nighttime closures. To keep traffic moving, temporary traffic signals will be placed at either end of the bridge allowing alternating traffic to cross. Signal cycles will be about 10 minutes. Also, the detour for oversize loads and during full closures is 68 miles, so plan accordingly. Full closures are expected between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. during 15 to 20 days of the job.