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Baring Bridge Replacement Project
Work expected to begin in 2028
Baring Bridge over the Skykomish River.
Status update
November 2024
The King County Landmarks Commission will hold a public hearing to review a proposal for the demolition of the Baring Bridge on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. The hearing will take place in person in Seattle, WA, and will also be available via Zoom. For more information, click here.
Our project construction schedule has been revised. We now expect to begin work on the new replacement bridge in 2028. We originally planned to start in 2024. It will take approximately three years to build the replacement bridge. The revised construction schedule allows the county more time to obtain the necessary environmental permits, property easements and acquisitions, and approvals needed to finalize the bridge design and start construction.
Project overview
The Baring Bridge provides sole access to approximately 170 properties, including more than 40 residences, in the unincorporated community of Baring, WA. Much of the bridge has been repaired or retrofitted over the years, however it continues to decay and must be replaced. King County will replace the existing timber bridge with a wider, steel truss bridge. The new bridge will be open to all vehicles and carry no weight restrictions. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2028 and last through 2030.
Project location
Baring Bridge is a King County owned and maintained timber suspension bridge. It is located on NE Index Creek Road over the South Fork of the Skykomish River near the Town of Baring and U.S. Route 2. The bridge was built in 1930. In 1999, it was designated a Landmark by King County and in August 2019, the bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Replacement bridge design
The new Baring Bridge will be a steel truss bridge. It will be built in the same location as the existing bridge. The new bridge will be open to all sizes and types of vehicles. It will have one single lane and wide shoulders for pedestrians.
- Reusing the main steel cables of the existing bridge as a decorative element on the bridge railing.
- Painting the steel truss “National Park Service Brown,” so that it blends in with the scenery.
- Incorporating weathered steel railings on the bridge and approach to better fit the rural character of the setting.
- Weathering the steel railings on the new bridge and the bridge approaches to help make the new bridge appear older than it is.
The weight restriction on the existing Baring bridge (above) is 10 tons (20,000 pounds). The steel truss replacement bridge will not have a vehicle weight restriction.
What to expect during construction
Construction is currently planned to start in spring 2028 and end in spring 2030. King County will build a temporary one-lane bridge adjacent to and downstream of the existing bridge. The temporary bridge will carry traffic over the South Fork of the Skykomish River while the new bridge is under construction. Once the temporary bridge opens to traffic, the existing bridge will be closed and removed.
Community involvement
Public engagement with community members about the replacement Baring Bridge project began in January 2019. Since then, we have held several community meetings, presentations and workshops. We’ve used input from residents, visitors, local businesses, county representatives, state and national agencies to help design the replacement bridge. The project team will continue to work with the public and partner agencies until the new bridge is officially complete. A detailed listing of our public engagement materials, activities and presentations is available in the public outreach and documents section of this website. Community members are welcome to contact us directly for more information or to schedule a meeting.
Road Services held the first Baring Bridge Replacement Project open house in January 2019. The open house was held in the King County Fire District 50 station near the Baring Bridge.
Frequently asked questions about the selected preferred alternative
Federal and state laws require mitigation for the removal and replacement of the bridge. Mitigation is a list of agreed-upon actions or commitments designed to help compensate for possible environmental impacts caused by the removal and replacement of the bridge. In this case, the U.S Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for determining the proposed mitigation plan. Next, the Corps works with the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation to make sure both agencies agree on the proposed mitigation plan. Once the agreement is finalized, the Corps will publish a document called the Memorandum of Agreement. This Memorandum is necessary to allow the county to remove the historic Baring bridge.
We intend to advertise the project to potential contractors in winter 2025. Construction is expected to start in spring/summer 2028 and end in spring 2030.
There also will be opportunities for community members to participate in project update meetings and events as we draw closer to finalizing the project design. We will update the project website and send out “save the date” notifications for all future community meetings.
Photos
Signage before the bridge, facing west
Signage at the bridge, facing west
Deck on the bridge following recent repairs
Repairs to the bottom of the bridge
Rusted cables at the top of the bridge tower
Crushed timber support under a bridge cap
Sag between panel points 12-21
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Slide 1
Signage before bridge
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Slide 2
Signage at bridge
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Slide 3
Bridge deck
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Slide 4
Bottom of bridge
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Slide 5
Bridge cables
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Slide 6
Bridge supports
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Slide 7
Bridge panels