Due to much-needed construction on North Lake Samish’s Bridge No. 107, nearby Samish Park will be closed as it is being used as a staging area. Construction contractor Cascade Bridge LLC, the project lead of the $9.67 million bridge replacement, will use the park for storing all necessary construction equipment and materials.
According to park visitation records from Whatcom County Parks, Samish Park saw nearly 100,000 visitors in 2023 alone. The peak month being just over 18,000 visitors in July.
An inspection of the 71-year-old Samish Bridge in March 2015 revealed that the wooden girders supporting the deck contained extensive amounts of rot. Due to this discovery, traffic over the bridge was limited to just one lane of traffic and only passenger vehicles, school buses and fire district vehicles in March of 2016.
An update posted to the Bridge Replacement Project webpage shows construction that began on May 28, 2024 and will finish in August of 2025. The residents of Lake Samish received an alert in a postcard from Whatcom County disclosing the dates of the upcoming construction. The card alerted homeowners of the closure to all traffic, including intermittent boat traffic closures that would be in place until late August 2025.
Samish Bridge and Samish Park on April 24, 2024 before the closure in Bellingham, Wash. The bridge will be closed for over a year. // Photo by Ross Osborne
“We are also encouraging folks to take advantage of the Notify Me system which can be accessed from the project webpage,” James Lee, the bridge & hydraulics manager for Whatcom County Public Works said in an email. “Once signed up, individuals can receive project updates via text or email.”
Anders Larsen, vice president of Western Washington University’s waterski team, lives in a home across the bridge with some of the other water-skiers.
“I’m mostly concerned about the extra time it takes for me to get home, the extra amount of money spent on fuel as well as the travel underneath the bridge,” Larsen said. “We keep our boat at Lutherwood Camp, a bible camp on the north end of the cove up there, to get to the course to practice we have to go under the bridge, the course is where we do a lot of skill development work.”
Larsen described that the WWU waterski team has around 40 team members who all use the lake for practice, either on the northern side of the lake or on the southern side where the team has a training course.
“We are committed to ensuring that members of our community have access to enjoyable outdoor recreational spaces during the closure of N Lake Samish Bridge and park,” Christ Thomsen, the Parks Operations Manager of Whatcom County Parks & Recreation, said in an email interview.
A sign placed on Samish Bridge in Bellingham, Wash. reads “Rest in Pieces. Feb. ‘63 - Jun ‘24” along with two bouquets. Construction began on May 28th, 2024. // Photo Courtesy of Anders Larsen
With nearly 100,000 people visiting the park in 2023, the usual visitors of Samish Park will now need a substitute.
“Lake Samish Park holds a novel place within the County Parks system, and we recognize the need to offer suitable alternatives for visitors during this period,” Thomsen said. “Bloedel Donovan Park, suggested by the City of Bellingham Parks, stands out as a viable option. However, it's important to note that this park reaches capacity quickly on warm days.”
Bloedel Donovan Park, located at 2214 Electric Avenue on Lake Whatcom, has a swimming area with swim docks, a boat launch, two community buildings, volleyball and basketball courts, a playground and hiking trails. The park is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, even offering a lifeguard program with a tentative start date of July 8 through August 25 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Thomsen also recommended that those looking for a good substitute for Samish should look into Silver Lake, located 40 minutes east of Bellingham. The area has boating, boat rentals, fishing and camping in the three campgrounds located around the lake. However, the drive might not be the most convenient for most people, so Bellingham swim areas are preferred.
More information on the best places to cool down and hang out this summer can be found on the city of Bellingham’s Parks & Recreation page, and the Whatcom County Parks & Recreation page.
Ross Osborne (he/him) is a city life reporter for The Front this quarter. He is a design major and public relations minor. He enjoys all things photo/video, skiing at Mount Baker and soccer. You can contact him at Rossosborne.thefront@gmail.com
