Three-week closure of the Electric Avenue bridge begins Monday. Here’s the detour route
A full closure starts Monday for the Electric Avenue bridge over Lake Whatcom while workers reinforce the span to allow for travel on both traffic lanes.
Woburn Street will be the north-south detour route during the closure, which will last from Monday until Sept. 20. Signs will be in place, according to the the city of Bellingham website.
Bicycle and pedestrian access will be limited during construction hours. The sidewalk will stay open for pedestrians outside of construction hours on evenings and weekends, the city said.
What city officials described as “critical structural failures” found during an inspection closed the bridge for several days starting June 3. It reopened with temporary signals to allow alternating lanes of traffic to cross the 65-year-old bridge, with a weight restriction of 24 tons.
Plans for reconstruction of the bridge, which was built in 1959, are included in the city’s five-year transportation plan for 2024-2029.
About 10,500 cars and trucks cross the bridge daily, according to a city of Bellingham traffic count in 2023.
