New crossing opens over SR 500 in Vancouver

VANCOUVER – After nearly seven years, the wait is finally over—Vancouver’s new pedestrian and bike bridge over State Route 500 is now open.

On Monday, June 30, the Washington State Department of Transportation's contractor, Cascade Bridge LLC, finished constructing the bridge that spans SR 500 near Northeast Stapleton Road and Northeast 54th Avenue, to fulfill a promise made in 2018. That year, WSDOT removed the traffic signals and crosswalks at this location to reduce rear-end crashes and improve safety for drivers. The change improved traffic flow but forced people walking, biking and rolling to take longer, indirect routes. 

“From the beginning, we made a clear commitment to come back and restore this connection once funding became available,” said WSDOT Project Engineer Susan Fell. “We’re proud to see this work finished and to provide an accessible crossing for everyone in the community.” 

Over the last year, crews constructed sidewalks, mid-block crossings and a shared use path near the SR 500 and Northeast Stapleton Road/54th Street intersection. They also constructed the pathway, walls and the bridge structure itself. In the final weeks of the project, they: 

• Removed the abandoned islands in the roadway at Northeast Falk Road/42nd Street and at Northeast Stapleton Road/54th Street.
• Repaved SR 500’s eastbound lanes and installed roadway striping.
• Paved the pathway to the bridge.
• Painted the bridge and installed safety fencing along both sides of the overcrossing.
• Completed permanent lighting and accessibility features. 

During construction, WSDOT partnered with C-TRAN, Clark County’s transit provider, to provide a temporary, on-demand shuttle service to help people cross SR 500. With the bridge now open, travelers have a permanent, ADA-accessible route to walk, bike or roll across the highway.