Bridge used by Washington tribe closed for upgrades

Friday, August 3, 2007  

A bridge used by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe of Washington was closed ahead of schedule on Thursday in the wake of the bridge collapse in Minnesota.

The 94-year-old Elwha River Road bridge was going to be closed in two weeks for demolition and replacement. But officials closed it early when the Federal Highway Administration recommended it.

The tribe has secured $1.5 million in Indian Reservation Road funds for the replacement and is seeking more from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The county, the state and the National Park Service are also contributing [Project Homepage].

Nearly a quarter of the 4,500 bridges in Indian Country are considered deficient, the same category as the bridge that collapsed in Minnesota, according to government statistics.

Get the Story:
Aged Elwha bridge closed permanently in wake of Minnesota tragedy (The Peninsula Daily News 8/3)

Testimony/Webcast:
OVERSIGHT HEARING on transportation issues in Indian Country (July 12, 2007)

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