PORT ANGELES, Wash - Effectively immediately, the North Shore Quinault Road is closed to vehicle traffic at milepost 14.5, just north of the Quinault River Bridge. The road at this location incurred damage during a storm in November of 2021. Continued road settling has made it impassable to vehicles and the park is working to install a temporary bridge. North Fork Campground and trailheads are accessible via the North Shore Road and the Graves Creek Campground and trailheads will be accessible via the South Shore Road after a temporary closure to Graves Creek Road.
On April 17th, the Graves Creek Road, Graves Creek Campground, and East Fork Quinault Trail will be closed to all traffic until May 25th to allow for the replacement of three bridges along the roadway and replacement of the “Pony Bridge" on the East Fork Quinault Trail. These important bridge replacements will help maintain access to the Quinault area.
A preservation contract managed by the Federal Highway Administration was awarded for $2.4 million to Massana Construction of Gig Harbor, WA. The contract will address deferred maintenance of fourteen road bridges throughout Olympic National Park. Three of those fourteen bridges are along the Graves Creek Road and require a full road closure to facilitate the repairs. The work will include deck-sealing, bridge painting, and minor repairs.
In addition to the road bridges, the “Pony Bridge", a trail bridge on the East Fork Quinault Trail, will be replaced during the same closure. This replacement is part of a larger project that addresses numerous trail deficiencies in multiple areas of the park.
The Quinault area is in the southwestern section of Olympic National Park.
Learn more about the Quinault area of Olympic National Park.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service