WSDOT and county officials warn of aging bridges and widening funding gap

WSDOT and local bridge officials told the Washington State Transportation Commission on February 1 that Washington’s bridge network is aging, maintenance and preservation funding is inadequate, and emergency repairs are increasing.

Evan, the state bridge engineer, said WSDOT’s inventory includes 3,427 bridges with a total replacement value of about $143,000,000,000 and an average age of 51.7 years. He said the statewide condition snapshot (June 2025) shows about 9.9% of state bridges in poor condition, 54.3% fair and 35.9% good. "Replacing all bridges that are 80 years and older would cost about $9,200,000,000," Evan told commissioners.

Panelists and county officials described recent emergency closures and repairs that illustrate the problem. James Moore, maintenance operations manager, reviewed emergency responses including a struck span on Bullfrog Road over I‑90 that was reopened under emergency authorization in 86 days, and an October incident on a 1949 truss on SR 410 that required immediate closure and repair after an over‑height vehicle damaged primary bracing. Evan and Darren Nebergall (WSDOT local programs bridge engineer) also described the April closure of the 103‑year‑old Carbonado/Fairfax (SR 165) bridge after rapid deterioration required closing the structure for public‑safety reasons.

Darren outlined the local bridge picture: the state’s federal‑reportable local inventory is roughly 4,300 bridges, with counties owning almost 3,500 of them. He said the 2025 federal‑local bridge funding call received 76 applications seeking about $457,000,000; the program awarded just under $84,000,000 across 21 projects and held roughly $16,000,000 in reserve for cost increases. "That leaves much of the need unaddressed," he said.

Officials warned that deferred preservation raises long‑term costs. Evan explained how changes to FHWA reporting (2022 guidance) will change condition coding but not reduce the actual work needed: "You'll see fewer bridges coded as poor in some reports, but the preservation need isn't changing. The problems we're seeing aren't going anywhere."

WSDOT also described new maintenance technology in trial use. James demonstrated a hydromilling tool (referred to as a hydromill), describing it as a European/Swiss‑manufactured device that reduces labor and silica exposure and can complete deck repairs far faster than conventional methods. James said full‑scale hydromill systems for intensive deck work are reported in the market at approximately $500,000 while WSDOT’s capture/treatment solution for process water used in early trials cost under $100,000.

Commissioners pressed presenters on measurable funding needs and the scale of program support. Panelists said preservation and maintenance programs have been underfunded for decades and that even sizable new investments — the governor’s proposal of $3 billion for preservation was described by the secretary as a down payment — would not immediately resolve long lead times for design and construction.

The briefing closed with a call for more data and mapping to help distribute limited funds: commissioners asked for maps showing county‑level breakdowns of good/fair/poor condition and a clearer sense of how many bridges are effectively in a "watch‑for‑emergency" category. WSDOT staff said they would provide available lists and counts and work to refine the requested datasets.

Next steps: WSDOT and local partners will supply additional data requested by the commission on worst‑case bridges and geographic distributions; commissioners signaled they will continue to press for preservation investments in the legislative session.