Project overview
State Route 4 is an important connection for Kelso, Longview, and nearby areas in Cowlitz County. It helps people, businesses, and tourists travel between the east and west parts of the county and also leads to the Pacific coast. The area around this route is becoming more urban with increasing residential and commercial development. The design phase for SR 4 Crawford Bridge Pedestrian Illumination project is completed. Construction is expected to begin in fall 2025.
The Peter Crawford Bridge is a key part of SR 4, crossing the Cowlitz River to help people get to Kelso and Longview. The lighting on the bridge, which those who walk, bike and roll rely on for safety, stopped working. Since the lights went out, the community has been vocal about the return of illumination to their bridge.
A study was done to best understand how the community uses the bridge to support future Complete Street project development. Activities included a survey to the public to collect data on how area residents use the Crawford Bridge, origins and destinations of trips, and any improvements that could be made to support bike or pedestrian use as a part of future projects.
What to expect
We are going to be installing lighting on the bridge in the next step of the project. We had overwhelming support for installing lighting on the bridge with over 300 responses from the community in our recent survey (see history and background for more details). As the project moves from design into construction, we’ll provide more details about the construction schedule and what to expect.
Project area for lighting improvements on State Route 4.
The SR 4 Crawford Bridge was built in 1951 and carries vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists across the Cowlitz River. The last significant work completed on the bridge was a cleaning and painting project in 1992. The bridge is inspected on a regular basis, and maintenance or repairs are completed as needed.
A survey asking how the community uses the bridge and key concerns was open July 30- August 24, 2025. Thank you to all of those who submitted responses to our SR 4 Crawford Bridge survey. Over 300 responses were received.
A few key findings from the survey include:
-Most respondents use the Crawford Bridge either daily or weekly
-Most respondents currently drive or use transit to get across the Crawford Bridge
-The highest rated concern for users of the Crawford Bridge was poor lighting, followed by narrow sidewalks and heavy traffic/speeding
-When asked about which improvements would make the bridge more accessible for users, respondents identified better lighting, wider sidewalks and more pedestrian crossings/signals leading up to the bridge as improvements to consider.
Funding for this project is specifically for lighting. While we do not have funding at this time to address all the issues raised, this feedback will help guide future projects on SR 4 on and around the Crawford Bridge.