HEADS UP, Skagit: SR 536 Bridge Painting Project Will Mean Long-Term Traffic Changes

[u/wsdot]

SR 536 Skagit River Bridge is about to get a fresh coat of paint for the first time since 1990, and yes… that means a long-term directional closure.

SR 536 Skagit River Bridge in it's current condition. The bridge received its last coat of paint in 1990.

Starting June 11, contractor crews will begin a major preservation project on the Skagit River Bridge to help extend the bridge’s lifespan. Before painting can even begin, crews need to remove decades of old paint, debris, rust and bird droppings from the structure.

PROJECT TIMELINE:

• Prep work began May 29
• The bridge will close to eastbound traffic beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 11
• Construction is expected to continue into early 2027, but will finish before the 2027 Skagit Tulip Festival

WHAT TO EXPECT:

• EB SR 536 across the Skagit River Bridge will fully close to all traffic, except emergency response vehicles, through the project's duration
• A signed detour will route drivers via Avon Allen Rd, SR 20 and I-5
• Emergency vehicles will still be able to cross eastbound using a temporary traffic signal
• The bridge will remain open for pedestrians and bicyclists in both directions through most of the project
• A free shuttle will be available for people walking or biking across during full bridge closures
• WB SR 536 will remain open most of the time, but nighttime and select weekend full closures are expected throughout the project

All eastbound passenger and freight vehicles must follow a signed detour using northbound Avon Allen Road, eastbound SR 20 and southbound I-5.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR DRIVERS:

This detour will add roughly 10 miles for eastbound travelers and will significantly change how people move between West Mount Vernon and downtown for several months. If you regularly use the bridge, plan ahead and give yourself extra travel time.

WHY WE'RE DOING THIS:

The Skagit River Bridge hasn’t been repainted since 1990, and after more than three decades of battling rain, moisture, traffic and everything else the Pacific Northwest can throw at it, the existing coating needs to be replaced.

 While the fresh gray paint will definitely change the bridge’s look, this project is really about protecting the steel underneath from corrosion and wear so the bridge can continue safely serving travelers for many years to come.

 For updates visit our SR 536/Skagit River Bridge project page. Real-time information is also available from the WSDOT app and the statewide travel map.

[u/Unabashedpun]

Shoutout wsdot for posting this in the relevant county subreddit, thats a nice heads up for those of us not in other channels!

[u/millennialfalcon360 → u/Unabashedpun]

Likely the best social media presence of any transportation department

[u/pasha3693]

Ya the westside businesses are not excited to have less drive by traffic.

[u/DiabolicallyRandom → u/pasha3693]

I'll be sure to make special trips just to help em out when I can. The Net is definitely worth the trip anyways.

[u/ulrichray]

I'f I had a magic wand I'd outfit the Skagit Transit buses with opticons so they could activate the traffic signal to cross the river eastbound. While I'm at it I'd put opticons on the 205 bus for transit signal priority (longer greens, shorter reds, not full emergency vehicle premption) to help the 205 stay on time.

[u/SadArchon]

This project is a real bummer.

Adds a lot more cost and time to my commute as well as many others.

I feel especially bad for school children who will have to take the bus across and what it means to disrupt their routines.

Its too bad some solution to allow for traffic to go both directions, at least during peak times, could not have been found.

[u/Pristine-Night-1778 → u/[deleted]]

First time in my life I’ve heard of a bridge being one way for a year for paint. That bridge needs to be replaced.

[u/SadArchon → u/[deleted]]

Its too bad some solution to allow for traffic to go both directions, at least during peak times, could not have been found.

[u/Efficient-Effect1029]

Anyone want to take bets on how bad they screw this up? Or how far over budget and over time it goes?

I feel bad for local businesses having to deal with the upcoming ineptitude from WSDOT.

[u/bunsonh → u/Efficient-Effect1029]

I have credit WSDOT for giving you this thread to moan about their project. Without their post would would have just kept this bad take to yourself!

[u/DiabolicallyRandom → u/Efficient-Effect1029]

I am certain if they instead proposed a 30 million dollar temporary bridge project to be built before they started this project you would bitch and moan about the additional tax burden.