Welcome sign installation on US 12 bridge closes lane

ABERDEEN - Motorists driving in Aberdeen will notice single-lane closures near the Wishkah River Bridge during daytime hours this week while crews install a new community welcome sign on the bridge.

From 9 am. to 4 pm. Wednesday, Thursday, and possibly Friday, Aug. 12-14, crews will reduce westbound US 12 to one lane at the Wishkah River Bridge. During that time, crews will install a metal frame onto the bridge's counterweight, followed by the new sign itself. The need for a lane closure that Friday will depend on work progress over the previous two days.

The sign is the result of a cooperative effort between local citizens, the City of Aberdeen, and the Washington State Department of Transportation. Long-term residents may find the sign reminiscent of an earlier era when a similar sign welcomed visitors to Aberdeen in the1930s, and which was subsequently replaced with a roadway directional sign. As part of this effort, several weeks ago WSDOT removed the roadway directional sign from the counterweight and installed shoulder-mounted signs to replace it.