PRIEST RIVER — Bonner County commissioners declared an emergency and voted to at least partially close the Wisconsin Street Bridge, also known as Merritt Bridge, after a safety inspection revealed significant infrastructure failures.  

Bonner County commissioners unanimously approved the request Tuesday by the Road and Bridge Department to allow for the appropriate closure of the bridge, either partially or in its entirety, until repairs have been made. 

“The failure will necessitate either a significant reduction in access or closure of the Wisconsin Street Merritt Bridge. Wisconsin Street Merritt Bridge is a critical public corridor serving the residents and businesses of Bonner County,” Road and Bridge director Jason Topp said. “This bridge is not only a significant economic corridor for commercial, public, and private use. The loss of access to this bridge poses a critical threat to life and property for all citizens south of the bridge, as first responders cannot reach that area of Bonner County.” 

Merritt Bridge is the longest bridge in the county, located south of Priest River. Just a year prior, the department got approval to help design repairs for the bridge, with cleaning measures and an underwater pile-wrap solution.  

Topp said an official load rating recommendation should be available by the end of the week or early next week, where the department will know whether a partial closure will be enough or if the bridge will need to be completely closed until repairs are complete. At the time of publishing, weight on the bridge is restricted to 105,500 pounds. Officials have also placed cones on the centerline in a 200-foot section of the bridge and ask that logging trucks do not pass each other in opposite directions in that section.  

Topp said he hopes the bridge can remain open during repairs.  

The department made the request after an underwater safety inspection discovered significant infrastructure failure; two support pilings were found to be compromised, one being completely sheared through and the other with cracks. 

“During a scheduled underwater inspection of the Merritt Bridge located in Priest River, a significant infrastructure failure was discovered; two of the support pilings are compromised. One is completely sheared off about 6 inches above the bottom of the river channel. The other has some cracking above the waterline and is supported by the concrete fill inside the pile,” Topp said in a press release. “These piles are both located on bent 9. All of the remaining piles on the bridge did not show any signs of failure. Bonner County Road and Bridge is unsure of the cause; it may have been impacted or construction or manufacturing defects.” 

Weekly inspections are also in place to make sure no further deterioration of the piles happens.

Parts to fix the bridge are expected to arrive in approximately two weeks and will take the department approximately two weeks to complete the repairs.  

Updates on the bridge are expected to be posted to the Road and Bridge department’s website, according to Topp.