Emergency declared in WA over closure of “critical lifeline” bridge due to semi truck crash
The Governor of Washington has declared an emergency over the closure of a “critical lifeline” bridge after a semi truck crash earlier in the month.
The accident happened back on August 18th when a semi truck crashed into the bridge, damaging several support beams. The crash forced the closure of the bridge, and the subsequent detour adds about 38 miles to the regular route.
On Tuesday, August 27th, Governor Bob Ferguson declared an emergency in King and Pierce counties over the closure. Repairs of the bridge are expected to cost more than $2 million, and work to repair this “critical lifeline” needs to be completed quickly.
Ferguson has instructed state agencies to “do everything reasonably possible to […] recover from the incident,” while the state seeks federal reimbursement for the costs of the emergency repair. There is no estimated time for completion.
Today I’m declaring an emergency due to the closure of the White River Bridge. The bridge is a critical lifeline to these communities, and we are doing all we can to get it reopened as quickly as possible.
— Governor Bob Ferguson (@GovBobFerguson) August 27, 2025
The work is happening right now, and this declaration will ensure we can… pic.twitter.com/UAValOo44d