A section of Stevens Canyon Road will be closed to all travel due to structural issues with a bridge/NPS

Structural problems with a bridge along the Stevens Canyon Road in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington have forced closure of a section of the road to all travel.

Earlier this week the Federal Highways Administration said an inspection of one of the bridges identified structural damage to the bridge and deemed it unsafe for two-lane travel. As a result, Stevens Canyon Road between Stevens Creek and Box Canyon will be closed to all vehicle, foot, and bicycle traffic for the remainder of the season, the park announced Wednesday. This emergency closure to ensure public safety is a change from the previously published public access schedule.

Stevens Canyon Road is the only road inside the park that connects the west side of the park (Paradise and Longmire) to the east side (Ohanapecosh and White River). A detour has been in place since the beginning of the summer due to ongoing construction in the area. Visitors must drive around the park via State Route (SR) 12 through Morton and Packwood to travel between these areas.

Facilities and trailheads at Box Canyon will remain accessible through Sunday, October 16. Due to ongoing work in the area, there may be delays of up to 30 minutes, Monday through Friday, in the area between Backbone Ridge and Box Canyon.

Mount Rainier National Park staff will implement the annual closure of Stevens Canyon Road on October 17. Through October 31, 2022, contractors will be working between Stevens Creek and Box Canyon to replace and repair stone guard walls, drainage grates, and the road surface. Access in the construction zone (including vehicle, bicycle, and foot traffic) along Stevens Canyon Road is prohibited. This is a multi-year project that is anticipated to last through mid-2024.