News

Mount Vernon bridge to partially close for a year

Mount Vernon bridge to partially close for a year

Image Courtesy of WSDOT Photo: Contributed


MOUNT VERNON, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A bridge in Mount Vernon will be partially closed for a year as early as next week.

WSDOT said the Division Street Bridge will be closed as early as next Thursday, June 11 for a repainting project. Crews began to prepare the bridge—also referred to as the SR 536 Bridge and the West Mount Vernon Bridge—last weekend for the closure.

The yearlong closure will affect eastbound traffic and be completely closed for some planned weekend and weeknight closures. Emergency vehicles will still be able to use the bridge.

Eastbound drivers will need to go around the bridge using northbound Avon Allen Road, SR 20 and SB I-5.

A map of the westside of Mount Vernon and Burlington, WA as well as the Skagit River, detailing a detour route for travelers.
The alternate route for those seeking to use the eastbound side of SR 536 Bridge. Courtesy of WSDOT

The aging bridge was last painted in 1990.

Crews will now remove the old paint and debris and inspect for damage before painting the bridge a light grey color.

The bridge is expected to be fully reopened ahead of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival next April.

Recent Headlines

5 minutes ago in Lifestyle

Nutrition apps can help build healthy habits. For some users, their gaming features carry risks

Fresh

Green means go, red means stop. Trophies or confetti come with good performance, and people who fall behind get nudged to do better. Those brightly colored engagement tactics long ago jumped from smartphone games to everything from online shopping to sports betting and classrooms. So it should come as no surprise that many nutrition-tracking apps like MyFitnessPal and Noom also use gaming features to keep users coming back.

6 minutes ago in Lifestyle

How to talk about money with your kids

Fresh

At the grocery store, Jamie Corum sets a two-minute timer for her 10-year-old daughter to look around. Then she resets it to 10 minutes so her daughter can choose one thing to buy, making sure she considers her budget and how much tax she'll have to pay.

14 hours ago in Crime, Local, Trending

Bellingham man accused of intentionally setting fire to his Barkley Village apartment

Witnesses extinguished the fire before firefighters arrived, no one was injured.

15 hours ago in Dedicated To Service, Local, Outdoors, Trending

South Whatcom Fire Authority to limit emergency response outside jurisdiction

Response times could rise around Lake Whatcom, Lookout Mountain, Chuckanut Mountain and parts of Galbraith Mountain.

18 hours ago in Dedicated To Service, Lifestyle, Local

Affordable housing development opens for families near Bellis Fair Mall

Additional housing for seniors will be available when Phase 2 of the project ends in spring 2027.

Bellingham Traffic