Lawmakers hear urgent testimony as bill would give WSDOT emergency authority to replace Fairfax Bridge

A bill that would declare an emergency for the permanent failure of the Fairfax Bridge and give the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) expanded authority to expedite replacement drew broad community testimony and sharp questions from the Transportation Committee.

Sponsor Representative Andrew Barkas told the committee the closure of State Route 165 and the Fairfax Bridge “has severed access” to Mount Rainier and left hundreds of residents isolated. ‘‘This is an emergency,’’ Barkas said, describing a 4x4 drive on a logging bypass road and meetings with elderly residents who depend on restored access.

Mayors, local residents and business owners told personal stories of being cut off; Mayor Jamie Pololi of Wilkerson said inspection records showed ‘‘advanced corrosion, structural loss, and critical maintenance past due on the Fairfax Bridge’’ for nearly two decades and argued delay reflected prioritization failures rather than unforeseeable events. Denise Carnahan, a local resident, urged replacement even if a toll were required to cover costs.

Public-safety witnesses described acute operational impacts. John Parkinson, fire chief of East Pierce Fire and Rescue, said response times to incidents south of the closure have doubled—rising from about 30 minutes to roughly 60—making life‑saving responses more difficult. Taylor Hobie, president of IAFF Local 3520, and other firefighter witnesses emphasized that prolonged delays increase the risk of irreversible outcomes.

WSDOT acknowledged the closure’s profound impacts but cautioned about federal processes that shape timelines. Alison Kreutzinger of WSDOT said the agency completed a planning study and is advancing a replacement option to the north, but noted that the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Section 106 (National Historic Preservation Act), and Endangered Species Act obligations will drive much of the schedule during environmental review and design. "Most of them sit at the federal level," she told the committee.

Committee staff and witnesses discussed cost and funding. Staff said WSDOT’s capital program delivery estimated the Fairfax Bridge replacement at approximately $160,000,000 and indicated the agency would likely use programmatic preservation funds as the project’s priority increases under the bill.

Support for HB 2645 spanned conservation groups, trail organizations and building trades, all of which urged the committee to give WSDOT ‘‘every single resource’’ to expedite replacement. Foothills Rails to Trails Coalition and Forever Green Trails highlighted the economic and recreational losses tied to closed public-land access.

Committee members probed precedent and the bill’s practical effect on permitting. WSDOT agreed to provide written examples of past coordination with federal agencies and said while state waivers could help on some fronts, federal review requirements often determine the critical path for projects in federally regulated lands.

The committee closed the public hearing on HB 2645 and moved to executive session. The bill will advance through the committee process, with members and agencies continuing to reconcile authority, permitting constraints, and funding sources.