Bridge replacement will close this popular Whatcom swimming hole
A popular swimming hole in southern Whatcom County will be closed for the summer while long-awaited work on the Lake Samish bridge is under way.
Samish Park will close in mid-April, according to the Whatcom County Parks and Recreation Department website.
In addition, the Day Lodge at the park won’t be rented for weddings and other private functions this summer.
Space at the park is needed for the contractor to stage equipment, said project engineer Kevin Thompson of the Whatcom County Public Works Department.
“The park will be closed for construction staging about mid-April. This may change to a later date once it is discussed with the contractor when the project is awarded to the low bidder,” Thompson told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
Closure of the bridge itself is set for late May or early June and the exact date isn’t set, he said.
Cost to replace the bridge, which was built in 1963, will be about $11.2 million, paid mostly through a $9 million federal grant and the rest through local road funds, Thompson said.
Construction will take about 14 months, he said.
Replacement of the bridge has been sought for several years.
Since 2016, there have weight restrictions across the 250-foot span that allow only one car to pass at a time.
This story was originally published February 12, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
