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US 101 Elwha River Bridge Replacement (WSDOT Lead)
Olympic National Park » US 101 Elwha River Bridge Replacement (WSDOT Lead) » Document List
Since dam removal and the resulting unregulated flow, the Elwha River has experienced increased velocities, river channel sediment loading and transport and associated channel migration. Because of the changes in river flow, the Elwha River bridge piers have experienced sever undermining. Initial emergency scour repair occurred in October of 2016. Due to unusually high flows and additional scour at the bridge piers since the initial scour repair, additional scour repair has been designed and permitted with construction to stat in spring of this year (2017) when river flow reaches acceptable volume/velocity ranging between 600 and 800 cfs. WSDOT continues to monitor the existing bridge and bridge piers for structural integrity and user safety until a bridge replacement alternative can be selected, permitted, and constructed.