CONTACT:   Susan Melnyk, Chief Communications Manager, (360) 867-2097 or susan.melnyk@co.thurston.wa.us   
 

Driving Forward: New Thurston County Bridge is a Win for Drivers & Salmon 
Project showcases how county leadership and federal partnerships deliver community solutions. 

OLYMPIA – Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D-WA) joined officials from Thurston County government on Wednesday to celebrate a landmark project for community safety, collaborative funding and waterway restoration with the opening of a new bridge on Country Club Road over Green Cove Creek in unincorporated Thurston County.  

In 2021, county inspectors discovered the soil supporting the original structure — built in the 1970s — was giving way, threatening to close the road, potentially cut off utilities to nearby homes, and collapsing the metal culvert which blocked the flow of Green Cove Creek underneath. County engineers immediately began planning its replacement. The new bridge replaces this previous infrastructure with a durable, long-term solution, while also unblocking the creek, and freeing the waterway for salmon. 

“Our success wasn't just about what we built, but how we built it,” said Tye Menser, Chair of Thurston County’s Board of County Commissioners. This project was a true collaboration — uniting the [Squaxin Island] Tribe, local neighbors, and government partners — to not only open up fish habitat but to also forge unprecedented partnerships that will benefit our community for generations.” 

One of the project’s key partners was Rep. Marilyn Strickland. Her advocacy helped secure millions of dollars in federal funding which covered more than 60 percent of the county’s project costs. The money was also instrumental in the project's utility relocations, allowing Thurston Public Utility Department (PUD) to provide clean water for residents. 

“I’m so proud we secured funding for a project that checks every box — safety, clean water, fish passage — without asking families to pay more,” said Rep. Strickland. “It's a win for the whole community.” 

The project’s other beneficiary is Green Cove Creek itself. By removing the collapsed, too-narrow culvert and replacing it with a bridge, the natural creek flow was reopened to waterflow and to salmon-spawning habitat that had been blocked since 1969. The effort has already yielded remarkable results, with salmon — including chum, coho, steelhead, and cutthroat — returning to spawn in the creek in 2024 for the first time in decades. 

County public works officials noted the project included a big dirt-works job, with contractors removing over 20,000 cubic yards of material — enough to fill about four Olympic-sized swimming pools. The new bridge features five 81-ton concrete girders, each 150 feet long, installed by two cranes working in tandem. 

Thurston County’s commitment to responsible infrastructure isn’t just about road safety, it also includes a broader perspective — ensuring county projects support clean water, healthy forests, and the natural beauty of Thurston County for generations to come. 

“Let’s continue to show the entire county and the state of Washington that when Thurston County wants to get something done, we get it done right here,” Strickland added. 

Find additional details: The Green Cove Creek Fish Passage Project | Thurston County