Tolt Hill Bridge now open to non-commercial vehicles; opening is temporary, pending future repairs

July 17, 2017 10:50 am
The Tolt Hill Bridge near Carnation will reopen by this evening’s commute, to light cars, trucks and other non-commercial traffic. The opening is temporary, while repairs are still being planned for the nine-year-old bridge. Courtesy Photo
The Tolt Hill Bridge near Carnation will reopen by this evening’s commute, to light cars, trucks and other non-commercial traffic. The opening is temporary, while repairs are still being planned for the nine-year-old bridge. Courtesy Photo

The Tolt Hill Bridge, closed to all traffic since June 16, will reopen to noncommercial pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, bikes and pedestrians at 1 p.m. today.

Engineers have completed an in-depth analysis of the loads the bridge can safely carry and determined it is safe to allow traffic on the bridge, provided each vehicle weighs six tons or less. A fully loaded pickup truck would be less than six tons.

Load restriction signs will be posted on the bridge.

Bridge repairs are still needed in the future, but the schedule and extent of the repairs has not been determined. Those repairs will require a full bridge closure.

More information on repair efforts and related closures will be available when design experts determine the best approach to repairs. Visit the Tolt Hill Bridge Emergency Repairs webpage for updates and to sign up for email and text alerts, or follow the roads department on Twitter, www.twitter.com/kcroads.