The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has closed access to the State Route 165 Carbon River Fairfax Bridge to all vehicles and pedestrians, closing access to parts of Mount Rainier National Park.
The 103-year-old bridge, located three miles south of Carbonado in Pierce County, was closed after recent inspections show new deterioration of steel supports. WSDOT bridge engineers will perform further analysis on the bridge in the coming weeks. It will remain closed until the results are finalized.
When open, the bridge provides access to Mount Rainier National Park’s Mowich Lake Entrance and Carbon River Ranger Station. With no alternative access, both Carbon River and Mowich Lake are closed until further notice.
The bridge’s load rating was reduced to 16,000 pounds back in 2024, marking the third restriction placed on the bridge since 2009. Commercial vehicles were restricted from crossing the bridge back in 2013.
“There is no funding available to replace the bridge at this point. Years of deferred preservation work due to limited preservation funding resulted in the updated weight restrictions and now the indefinite closure.” – WSDOT
