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The ongoing traffic nightmare in Enumclaw, WA
People in Enumclaw are already frustrated by the month-long White River Bridge closure, but now have to deal with a second shutdown of a main artery in the town.
ENUMCLAW, Wash. - Residents and business owners in Enumclaw say they’re running out of options as two main bridges into town remain closed for emergency repairs.
The White River Bridge on State Route 410 and the Dan Evans Green River Bridge on State Route 169 — commonly called the Kummer Bridge — are both shut down, leaving only one major way in and out of town.
What they're saying:
Shayln Stipp, who owns Baked by Shayln inside Krain’s Korner, says the closures have led to a noticeable drop in customers.
"We’re seeing a huge decline from that as compared to the Buckley bridge because it’s so much closer to us," she said. "With all the growth in Maple Valley and Black Diamond, a lot of those people come here for lunches, and with the detour it’s just too far to go on their lunch breaks now. We’ve noticed a huge hit."
She said the last time a bridge shut down into Maple Valley 10 to 15 years ago, her business nearly closed for good.
For commuters, Stipp says the closures have turned the Auburn-Enumclaw highway into a bottleneck.
"Having that be closed has made the Auburn Enumclaw highway just a terror," she said. "In the morning and the afternoon, there can be up to an hour and a half of traffic just to get down ten miles worth of road."
And the situation may soon get worse.
"There’s one more big one coming up," she warned. "That one Auburn Enumclaw highway — the main way out of here right now unless you’re detouring through Ravensdale or down through the valley is supposed to be shut down next week for like four nights from like 9 to 5."
Acknowledging the inconvenience to travelers throughout the area, WSDOT spokesperson R.B. McKeon says the agency could not put off the work because of weather concerns.
"We’ll be in that winter season soon and it was just important from our perspective to get those done," said McKeon.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Washington State Department of Transportation and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.