The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said on Thursday that Koontz Road, located in Lewis County, needs significant repair work before it can be reopened to traffic.
Koontz Road crosses over Interstate 5 nearby Napavine. Last month, an oversized load hit the Koontz Road overpass. Inspectors from WSDOT inspected the site of the collision, then closed the overpass for the sake of other drivers’ safety. The trucking company whose driver struck the overpass will be expected to reimburse WSDOT for the damage.
After the design is finished, contractors will be contacted by WSDOT. Construction is expected to start in December, and experts expect that the final repair costs will range from $2 million to $3 million for the entire repair project. Repairs are scheduled to be finished by spring 2017. The overpass will be closed until repairs are completed.
“We know the extended closure of Koontz Road is an inconvenience for the community, but there is no quick fix for replacing two of the four concrete girders supporting the bridge deck,” Dewayne Matlock, a WSDOT project engineer, said. “Repairing a bridge is extremely complicated because each damaged component is unique and integrally linked to the structure.”
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