Skip to main content

Bridge Guardrail Upgrades 2025

The 2025 Bridge Guardrail program is expected to run from January to April 2025

Newly installed guardrail on SE 208th Street

Newly installed guardrail on SE 208th Street east of 136th Avenue SE south of Fairwood, WA. The guardrail was installed to a standard height over a creek crossing. 

Status update

September 2024

The locations for the 2025 Bridge Guardrail Upgrade Program have been identified and work is planned for January to April 2025.

Overview 

The county will remove the existing guardrail that is made from outdated materials such as wood or isn’t the correct height and install new guardrail approaching and alongside the bridge. In some cases, additional guardrail will be added on the approach of a bridge to add additional safety. All of the bridges in the 2025 program are short span and less than 100 ft long. 

Bridge guardrail increases safety by preventing vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycles from falling several feet into a river or creek. Guardrail is designed to absorb impact and minimize damage to vehicles and the bridge structure in case of a collision.

 

24/7 Road Helpline

24/7 Road Helpline

Call us for help at 206-477-8100 or 1-800-527-6237 with road maintenance and traffic safety issues in unincorporated King County — 24 hours a day

What to expect during construction

During construction, crews will reduce traffic on the bridge to a single lane and flaggers will direct two-way traffic. Travelers can expect delays. This work can be done in the rain, but not high winds, the snow, ice, or if the road is flooded. This work is weather dependent and may be rescheduled. 

For the most up to date information regarding lane restrictions and road closures in unincorporated King County, visit kingcounty.gov/MyCommute.

 

Budget

The budget for the 2025 Guardrail Program is $1.2 million.  

2025 Guardrail work locations map

 

Guardrail will be upgraded in seven locations throughout unincorporated King County in 2025. 

2025 Guardrail work locations

Bridge name Location Neighborhood Expected construction
Tate Creek Bridge 112N N Fork Rd SE between 434th Ave SE and 440th Ave SE North of North Bend, WA Winter/Spring 2025
Boise Creek Bridge 3051 276th Ave SE between SE 464th St and SE 456th St Southeast of Enumclaw, WA Winter/Spring 2025
284th Ave SE Bridge 3049 284th Ave SE between SE 464th St and SE 456th St Southeast of Enumclaw, WA
Winter/Spring 2025
May Creek Bridge 593C 164th Ave SE between SR 900/Renton Issaquah Rd SE and SE May Valley Rd East of Renton, WA Winter/Spring 2025
Stossel Creek Bridge 5032 Stossel Creek Rd 5.9 miles northeast of 348th Ave NE and Swan Mill Rd East of Duvall, WA Winter/Spring 2025
Green Valley Rd Bridge 3020 SE Green Valley Rd 0.8 miles west of 202nd Pl SE West of Black Diamond, WA Winter/Spring 2025
Veazie Bridge 3038 Veazie Cumberland Rd SE between SE 392nd St and SE 384th St South of Cumberland, WA Winter/Spring 2025

Frequently asked questions

Regular guardrail is a metal safety barrier placed along roads or highways to stop cars from going off the road, especially in dangerous spots like sharp curves or steep drop-offs. It helps reduce crashes by keeping cars on the road.

Bridge guardrail, on the other hand, is specifically installed alongside bridges. Its purpose is similar, but it is often designed to be stronger or more protective because many bridges are elevated and may have higher risks if a vehicle goes over the side.

In short, bridge guardrail is a type of guardrail designed for the unique safety needs of bridges, while a general guardrail can be found along any part of a road.

Most travelers would never know they are going over a bridge because they cross streams and waterways that are narrow, or you might not be able to see the water from the road. One of the ways to tell if you are going over one of these bridges if you see guardrail on a part of the road that is straight and not curvy.
Guardrail is installed by drilling holes in the bridge deck or road and installing anchor bolts where the guardrail posts will be placed. Then steel posts which will hold up the rail are anchored to the bridge deck. These posts are spaced at regular intervals to provide structural support. After the posts are secured, the horizontal rails (usually steel or concrete) are attached to the posts. These rails form the protective barrier that prevents vehicles from falling off the bridge. Once the rails are in place, bolts and fasteners are tightened to ensure everything is secure. In some cases, additional reinforcement is added to make the rail stronger.
King County's contractors usually decide how they acquire guardrail materials. The county provides contractors with the necessary requirements.

King County uses a system to decide which bridge rails need to be upgraded first. This system looks at things like how weak the bridge is, how hard it is to upgrade, the type of rail on the bridge, and how the guardrail connects to the road.

We also look at the five-year crash history focused on run-off-road collisions. All traffic crash and collision data is reported and stored at the Washington State Transportation Data, GIS, and Modeling Office. This office is the source for the most complete and up-to-date information regarding any location in Washington State. It is the source we use for crash and collision information. For information on crashes on your roadway, submit your data request here.

 
Please report damage to guardrail to our 24/7 Road Helpline at 206-477-8100 or toll-free at 800-527-6237, or you may email maint.roads@kingcounty.gov.

Photos

Crews will change the type of guardrail and add more rail as travelers approach the bridge on 276th Avenue SE over Boise Creek. These changes will make the road safer for all to use. 

 

This guardrail over Tate Creek east of Snoqualmie, WA is not to standard. The current wood guardrail will be replaced with steel as part of this project. 

expand_less