Crumbling Bridge Closure Threatens Mount Rainier Park Access and Local Economies

As of September 9th, 2025, a critical bridge leading to Washington's Mount Rainier National Park has been closed for over 5 months, leaving nearby towns in a state of panic. The 103-year-old Fairfax Bridge, which connects the gateway communities of Wilkeson and Carbonado to the park, was shut down in April 2025 after engineers discovered new deterioration of the steel supports.

The closure has dealt a devastating blow to the local economies, which are deeply dependent on the influx of park visitors. Replacing the bridge would cost an estimated $160 million and take approximately 6 years to complete, a timeline that the state has yet to secure funding for. In the meantime, the northwest corner of the national park has become virtually inaccessible to vehicles, save for backpackers already on the lengthy trails.

Jayme Peloli, a Wilkeson Town Council member, has described the situation as an "existential issue" for the community, as the bridge closure has cut off a vital lifeline. With the ranger contact station and road access to the Ipsut Creek Campground already gone, residents fear that the park resources they rely on will continue to dwindle. Peloli has launched a petition demanding an emergency declaration to unlock state and federal funds, but the governor's office has indicated that current reimbursement rules make such a declaration impossible.

As the winter approaches, the remote, aging population living beyond the closed bridge faces the prospect of being isolated in their homes, with unreliable cell coverage and no landline service. The situation has become a pressing concern for the entire region, as the future of Mount Rainier National Park's accessibility and the economic well-being of the surrounding communities hang in the balance.