Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn, issued the following statement after Gov. Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency in response to the White River Bridge closure on State Route 410:

“I appreciate the governor’s swift action in declaring an emergency so the state can move quickly to stabilize the White River Bridge. That step is critical, but it is not enough. Rural communities like Wilkeson and Carbonado are being hit hardest by these bridge failures, and they cannot be left to shoulder the economic burden alone. I am calling on the governor to exempt those towns from business-and-occupation and property taxes while they remain cut off. Local businesses are already reporting revenue losses of 40% or more; relief is needed now.”

Fortunato noted that while the White River Bridge drew headlines after being struck by a semi-truck last month, the nearby 103-year-old Fairfax Bridge at the Carbon River entrance to Mount Rainier has been closed since April decimating the Wilkeson- Carbonado economies.

“This recent White River closure is a new tale of two bridges,” Fortunato said. “One is damaged, the other is permanently shut down. Together, they highlight what I’ve been warning about for years: when rural infrastructure is ignored, our communities are left stranded. That’s why from the day I entered the Senate, I’ve been fighting for a second bridge over the White River. A second span would give us redundancy, improve traffic flow, and protect small towns and tourism that depend on reliable access.”

In addition to renewing his push for a second bridge, Fortunato is proposing an immediate, commonsense safety measure: installing steel crossbeams about 300 feet before each approach to the White River Bridge.

“If someone strikes a crossbeam, at least they won’t take out the bridge itself. The economic impact of a closure is simply too great not to build in this kind of protection while we continue the fight for a second bridge,” Fortunato said.

Fortunato pledged to continue pressing Olympia to prioritize long-neglected rural projects.

If you add to that the “temporary” fix to the Spiketon bridge, you start to see a pattern.  Rual projects are always bumped to the end of the line for replacement.  “Seattle gets its over budget mega-projects while basic infrastructure for rural communities is left behind, and they are helping foot the bill. I’ll keep fighting until we get that second bridge, and the fair share of investment our communities have earned.”