Nine bridges in Clallam County and two in Jefferson County are structurally deficient, according to the most recent data compiled by the Federal Highway Administration.
The nine Clallam County bridges in the 2006 report include the two Eighth Street bridges in Port Angeles – which are to be replaced soon – and the Elwha River Road bridge, which was closed by Clallam County on Wednesday.
All but the Elwha River Road bridge are open to traffic.
The federal highway data, which describes in detail 129 bridges in Clallam County and 72 in Jefferson County – including those as minor as roadways with culverts underneath them – was compiled in 2006 from state inspection reports.
The floating bridge spanning Hood Canal was listed as “not deficient” in the federal database.
The state Department of Transportation is aware of the bridges listed as deficient, said Chris Keegan, an operations engineer with Transportation and a bridge engineer for the Olympic region.
Those on state highways are slated for replacement or are being monitored for further structural problems, he said.
The bridges that are deficient are still safe to drive over, Keegan said.
