'The middle of a major infrastructure emergency:' Wilkeson councilmember fights to fix major bridge closures

If you’ve driven from Seattle to Mount Rainier this summer, you might’ve had to find a different route from normal – one that misses the town of Wilkeson. Since April, this Pierce County town of just under 500 people has been cut off from a major source of economic activity: Through traffic, due to the closure of the Fairfax Bridge a few months ago.   And, to add insult to injury, another key bridge is also closed. The White River Bridge was blocked off following a crash involving a semitruck. Wilkeson Councilmember Jayme Peloli says her town is suffering due to these closures.  She’d been calling for Washington’s governor to issue an emergency proclamation in order to seek federal dollars to reimburse state efforts to fix these bridges. Yesterday, he did just that, in an effort to address the White River Bridge closure. We talk with Peloli about what's been going on in Wilkeson.  Guest Jayme Peloli, Wilkeson councilmember Editor's note: We received a statement from WSDOT after this episode aired on the radio. It reads, in part: "The Governor’s emergency proclamation is the first step in WSDOT seeking federal funds for repairs to the White River Bridge. While this does not guarantee that WSDOT will receive funding from the Federal Highway Administration, we believe the bridge strike qualifies as a catastrophic failure from an external cause under the statute, and we will actively pursue emergency reimbursement. Securing this funding will help ensure that state dollars can go further as we balance the many pressing needs across our transportation system."   Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.