WSDOT outlines $7 million repaint, traffic controls for SR 536 bridge; says active-transportation fixes not funded

Mount Vernon City Council members and residents heard a Washington State Department of Transportation update on state highway preservation on June 11 that centered on a proposed $7,000,000 repainting project for the State Route 536 (Skagit River) bridge and the limits on adding pedestrian and bicycle improvements during the work.

WSDOT assistant regional administrator Chris DiMaggio told the council the bridge painter project is intended to protect the bridge’s structural integrity, remove old (including lead) paint under containment, and extend the life of a 1953 structure that carries about 18,000 vehicles a day. He said the work will likely take about 12 months and that the containment needed for safe debris removal limits traffic width during construction.

The update mattered to residents and business groups because containment and lane-width restrictions affect traffic flow in downtown Mount Vernon and could disrupt school and business access. “This $7,000,000 project is aimed at expanding the life of the vital bridge,” DiMaggio said. He added that removal of lead paint requires a secondary enclosed structure to collect debris, and that containment “limits the width and thus the traffic that we can put on the bridge.”

Several residents and stakeholders urged the city and WSDOT to pursue pedestrian safety…