News Release

Release date: Oct. 11, 2001

Special permits may help shorten trip for trucks facing restrictions on Woodinville-Duvall Bridge

Trucks currently facing lengthy detours because of new load limits placed on Woodinville-Duvall Bridge may soon be getting some relief thanks to a new special permit developed by King County and local trucking associations. The bridge, located on Woodinville-Duvall Road just west of State Route 203 at the Duvall city limits, carries more than 17,000 vehicles each day.

A load limit rating was placed on the bridge in July when an inspection revealed the aging structure was deteriorating and could no longer accommodate heavy loads. Since the new restriction pertained to any truck rated to carry 20-tons or more, regardless of the size of its actual load, most trucks have had to find alternative routes around the bridge. While the King County Road Services Division has a major $2.5 million bridge rehabilitation project planned for next summer, the division and trucking groups have been working together to identify interim ways to minimize the inconvenience of moving goods through the area.

That effort has now led to the establishment of a "special use" permit that will allow businesses to obtain decals that can be used to identify trucks that are running empty. When displayed, the decals will alert officers, road use investigators and the public that trucks using the bridge are empty and are not in violation of the bridge's posted load limit. The new permit is expected to reduce travel time on local roads and save businesses added fuel costs.

Businesses can obtain the special use permit and decals for their trucks through the King County Property Services Division located at 500 Fourth Ave., Seattle. The permits will be available beginning Oct. 15. The permits will be valid through the end of 2002. Businesses can find out more about how to obtain a special use permit by calling (206) 296-7456.

Duvall Bridge upgrade scheduled for next year

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