.png)
USK – The Washington State Department of Transportation closed Highway 20 at the Lost Creek Bridge, five miles south of Tiger starting Monday, Oct. 7 to begin repairs. Those who travel between Usk and Tiger will need to use the East 5th Street bridge in Usk across the Pend Oreille River, turn left and head north onto LeClerc Road South all the way to Ione onto Sullivan Lake Road back onto Highway 20. This adds an additional 10 minutes or so to travel time between Usk and Tiger.
This week, the bridge team began repairs to the abutment of the bridge and had implemented a single lane closure with alternating traffic. That traffic control is currently in place. However, as they began repairs, they uncovered further issues that need to be addressed with the bridge. Maintenance crews will be removing the asphalt approaches to the bridge, removing the soil underneath that has been eroding and replacing it with crushed rock to better compact and reduce erosion leading up to the bridge structure. Crews will also start replacing the timber abutment beams, which are significantly deteriorated, to once again strengthen the structure at each end. The road will close potentially through Friday, Oct. 11. However, the goal is to be reopened sometime on Wednesday, Oct. 9, once repairs are complete.
