Beginning Tuesday, July 28, expect intermittent closures of the sidewalk to pedestrians, while crews are sandblasting the structure. An ADA-compliant shuttle will be available for pedestrians, bicyclists and people using mobility devices during these closures.
Project overview
The State Route 536 Skagit River Bridge received its last coat of paint in 1990. After 36 years, contractor crews will add fresh paint to the bridge to preserve and extend its service life beginning in spring 2026. In addition to painting, this project includes all the preparation work before painting, such as removing old paint, bird droppings and debris.
What to expect
There will be a full eastbound directional closure of SR 536 over the bridge with an exception for emergency response vehicles. All eastbound passenger and freight vehicles must follow a signed detour using northbound Avon Allen Road, eastbound SR 20 and southbound I-5.
Contractor crews began preparing in the area May 29, and traffic control is expected to begin as early as Thursday, June 11. This will include the long-term closure of the bridge to eastbound traffic.
Emergency vehicles driving eastbound will still have access to the bridge via a signal. Please note, this signal is only for emergency vehicles. Passenger and freight vehicles must detour - the light will not change these vehicles.
Pedestrian Access & Shuttle: The bridge will remain open to pedestrian and bicyclist traffic. Eastbound bicyclists should dismount and walk their bikes across the bridge using the sidewalk. Westbound bicyclists may share the open lane with vehicles or walk their bikes across using the sidewalk. A free shuttle service will be available for pedestrians and bicyclists who wish to cross during the full closures of the bridge. Pick-up and drop-off points will be located near both ends of the bridge.
Westbound Traffic: During this project, the westbound lanes will experience several full closures at night and on select weekends. While these full closures are in effect, a signed detour will be in place for westbound drivers. Access to the bridge for emergency response vehicles will be maintained through these closures.
Check out our SR 536 Skagit River Bridge Painting project FAQ (PDF 106KB) for more information.
The SR 536 bridge over the Skagit River will be painted to preserve and extend its service life.
As a part of our projects, we need to look for opportunities to better accommodate all modes of transportation across the bridge. During the predesign process, engineers and planners evaluated a number of options to better utilize the bridge to accomplish that goal. The design effort considered many options for active transportation improvements. Due to the complexity of the structure, no options proved feasible for inclusion with this painting effort.
Skagit River Bridge History
Constructed as a swing bridge in 1953, the SR 536 Skagit River Bridge has not opened for boat traffic since 1967. Although the frequency of openings has decreased over time, the bridge still must be ready to open if ordered. The bridge carries 18,000 vehicles daily, with nearly equal amounts of vehicles crossing east and westbound.
In deciding to close the eastbound direction of the bridge, WSDOT performed a traffic count and worked closely with the city of Mount Vernon and emergency services to select a solution to avoid major traffic disruptions while still allowing emergency access.
