Republicans propose bill to restore access to historic gateway to Mount Rainier

(The Center Square) – Republican lawmakers proposed a plan Tuesday that could restore access to the Fairfax Bridge “as soon as possible” after the state shut down the gateway to Mount Rainier last April.​

The 103-year-old historic crossing is located a few miles away from Wilkeson, an old logging town that depends on tourists stopping by on their way to Mount Rainier National Park. The local economy came to a near halt last spring after the Washington State Department of Transportation closed the bridge.

Rep. Andrew Barkis, R-Olympia, and Rep. Josh Penner, R-Orting, proposed House Bill 2149 on Tuesday, which would declare an emergency and direct WSDOT to restore access “as soon as possible.” There’s no timeline attached; inste...