PORT ANGELES — More than three dozen Clallam County residents who were suddenly isolated after a private bridge collapsed near Port Angeles on Thursday have found a way out.
Those living west of Garling Road bridge were granted a private easement through a neighbor’s property to access Pearce Road and the rest of civilization.
“Another neighbor was kind enough to give us a temporary easement,” said Shawn Gallacci, one of about 40 residents affected by the bridge failure.
A temporary access road was being built by private citizens Friday.
“The neighbors rallied together,” said Chief Sam Phillips of Clallam County Fire District No. 2.
The one-lane span over the East Fork of Lees Creek connects the rural neighborhood to Mount Pleasant Road east of Port Angeles.
“There’s no other way around it,” Gallacci said.
The support structure under the east end of the bridge gave way Thursday morning after heavy rain.
Those who were away when the bridge collapsed parked their vehicles on the east side of the bridge and scrambled across the damaged bridge to walk home.
“It’s inconvenient, to say the least,” Gallacci said.
Private bridge
Clallam County owns 0.18 miles of Garling Road, beginning at Mount Pleasant Road and ending just before the bridge.
The county has never owned the bridge itself, County Engineer Ross Tyler said.
“I can only guess that when the county took that portion of the road as a county road that the bridge didn’t even exist,” said Tyler, who has worked for the county since 1985.
“The county never did have the bridge or anything beyond it.”
He added: “It was put in by private developers.”
Since the bridge is privately owned, the onus falls on the neighborhood to replace it.
“That’s the sad truth of it,” said Penelope Linterman, Clallam County Emergency Management program coordinator.
Damage from recent storms did not rise to the level of a disaster declaration in Clallam County.
Even if it had, the Federal Emergency Management Agency would not have replaced the bridge because it does not support a public facility such as a school or nursing home, Linterman said.
FEMA this year twice rejected the state’s request for aid to those affected by summer wildfires in north-central Washington, where more than 300 homes were destroyed.
“When FEMA helps, they don’t make you whole,” Linterman said.
“You qualify for low-interest loans.”
Clallam County officials will “try to be helpful” to Garling Road residents by attending community meetings, “but there’s really nothing we can do,” Linterman said.
Repair to cost $150,000
Gallacci said the estimated cost of repairing the bridge is $150,000.
“That’s barring any holdup with the state,” he added.
Gallacci said it will be difficult for residents to pay for the bridge themselves.
“A lot can’t pay, and that puts pressure on the ones who can,” he said.
Tyler said the deck of the bridge is structurally sound but was built too short for the crossing.
“And the abutments — it wasn’t set on pilings or anything,” Tyler said.
Over the years, the banks of the creek slumped in and “threatened to do exactly what it did the other day,” Tyler said.
A neighborhood association is being assembled to determine the next steps.
Several people in the neighborhood have medical issues.
“It’s scary for them right now,” Gallacci said Friday.
“After today, it should be better, I hope.”
Phillips said he was given assurances that the emergency access road would be built well enough to withstand the weight of a fire engine.
“We’re hopeful that they can get that secured in a timely manner, because they are isolated,” Phillips said.
“It’s in all of our minds. All of the officers are informed. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.”
Tyler said the wooden bridge abutments were showing signs of collapse some 15 years ago.
He said he was not surprised that the bridge finally gave way.
“The fact that it lasted this long surprises me,” Tyler said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
