Replaced bridge re-opens to traffic as another closes again near downtown Bellingham
An $11 million project to replace a pair of bridges on a key Bellingham truck and commuter route is moving closer to completion.
Traffic is again using the Meador Avenue bridge after a closure of several months to replace it, the city of Bellingham said last week.
“While the Meador (Avenue) bridge is open to traffic, there is a temporary pedestrian path in place that is clearly delineated and protected from vehicle traffic. This will be in place for a short period of time until weather allows for placing the permanent sidewalk, likely by the end of February,” the city said in its online newsletter.
Flaggers were letting one lane of traffic at a time cross the bridge Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the nearby James Street bridge is closed again while a temporary bridge is removed and a permanent replacement is built.
Construction on both bridges began in spring of 2024 with alternating closures that kept one of the two bridges open at a time. Completion is expected early this simmer, the city said.
James Street north of Meador Avenue carried 6,900 cars daily in 2023, according to a city traffic survey. Meador Avenue west of James carried 3,200 cars a day.
Both bridges date to 1962, according to a project description at the city’s website. The bridges were closed for several days during the torrential rain of November 2021, to inspect damage from raging water in Whatcom Creek.
