Report: Snohomish County to repair, replace seven bridges in coming years
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, July 14, 2026
EVERETT — Snohomish County plans to undertake at least seven major repair or replacement projects on bridges across its road network over the next few years, according to an annual bridge report released on Thursday.
The report, which summarizes a year’s worth of the county’s work to maintain its 211 bridges, details upcoming construction projects to either make repairs to existing bridges or build new bridges in lieu of repairs.
One of the largest upcoming projects expected to begin construction is the replacement of the Granite Falls Bridge, which was built in 1934 and traverses the Stillaguamish River. While the bridge is a crucial connection for rural areas of the northeast county, it is only 20 feet wide — narrow enough that two large vehicles cannot pass each other comfortably. The bridge is also showing signs of deterioration and age, according to the county.
A replacement bridge will be built just west of the existing bridge and will be 47 feet wide, enough to allow room for vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians. Construction is targeted to begin in 2028, the bridge report stated, and county staff are working to complete engineering and environmental permitting.
The other replacement project expected in the near future is the replacement of the Pilchuck Creek Bridge north of Arlington, located along Highway 99. That bridge is currently weight-restricted and reduced to one lane because of its age, but construction on a replacement is planned to begin in 2028.
Repair projects are planned over the next three years for the Snohomish River Bridge along Airport Way and the Larson Road Bridge in the rural Silvana area; both will receive seismic upgrades. The Schweitzer Creek Bridge and Wisconsin Creek Bridge, both on the Mountain Look Highway, will receive new asphalt.
The county will also conduct an engineering study, set to be completed in 2026, that will look for seismic deficiencies and create cost estimates for Sultan Bridge 94, a 470-foot-long bridge on Mann Road in Sultan which passes over the Skykomish River.
Some upcoming bridge fixes are relatively small, as 33 of the county’s bridges are “short-span,” meaning they are under 20 feet in length. Upcoming projects include the replacement of a culvert on the Mountain Loop Highway, about 6 miles southeast of Darrington, that will be rebuilt as a short-span bridge with construction expected to begin in 2027. Another 18-foot-long short span bridge along Woods Creek Road north of Monroe will be replaced with construction planned in 2029.
In 2025, Snohomish County completed three replacement and repair projects on its bridges, including replacing the Jordan Creek Bridge between Granite Falls and Arlington, replacing the Swamp Creek Bridge between Bothell and Brier, while also performing maintenance work — and adding a fresh coat of paint — on the aptly-named Red Bridge 537 east of Granite Falls. The county also built a brand new culvert project to improve fish passage from the Pilchuck River to Sexton Creek, the report stated.
Future bridge replacement projects could include a replacement of the Jorgenson Slough Bridge 246, a bridge built on Marine Drive in the west of the county in 1967. That bridge, used frequently to carry farming equipment, relies on timber that requires extensive maintenance because of its poor condition, according to the report.
Other future replacement projects could include a bridge on Woods Creek Road north of Monroe, a bridge on Dubuque Road east of Snohomish, a bridge on Yeager Road east of Monroe and a bridge on Lowell Larimer Road southeast of Everett. The county is seeking funding to replace the structures largely due to the poor conditions of timber elements of the bridges, the report stated.
Over the course of 2025, county officials performed 142 regular inspections, including on 25 city bridges, the report stated. Every county bridge is inspected at least once every two years.
Nineteen of the county’s 211 bridges are in “poor” condition, the report stated. Those bridges are still safe to drive on, but are in most need of replacement and are most likely to qualify for federal bridge funding.
“Snohomish County proactively manages its road and bridge inventory, prioritizing the greatest needs for funding and construction,” wrote Snohomish County Public Works Director Kelly Snyder in a Thursday press release. “Our teams do a great job leveraging local tax dollars to secure federal and state funding for large bridge rehabilitation and replacement projects.”
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
