The bridge will remain closed until 2025 when DES completes construction on a replacement of the existing Irv Newhouse Building as part of a project to update a portion of the West Capitol Campus called Legislative Campus Modernization (LCM).

Pedestrians and cyclists who use the bridge to cross over Capitol Way should follow the signs on campus to the detour, which uses the sidewalk by the State Archives Building directly across from Tivoli Fountain.

A second detour will open in late 2023 after DES completes sidewalk updates near the Capitol Childcare Center.

The bridge is closed during construction for the safety of pedestrians and construction workers. DES staff may be visible on the bridge during the closure for routine work including hanging informational banners.

LCM is an initiative to renovate and replace aging structures on a portion of the historic West Capitol Campus in Olympia that house the Washington State Senate, House of Representatives, and other state agencies. The project is expected to be complete in 2028. LCM has three major milestones:

• Replace the Irv Newhouse Building by 2025
• Rehabilitate and expand the Joel M. Pritchard Building by fall 2026
• Renovate the top two floors of the John L. O’Brien Building by the end of 2028

Upgrades will address serious life-safety issues, overcrowding, public access to elected representatives, inefficient and aging building systems, and pave the way for better energy efficiency and carbon reduction.

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