SHINE — The Hood Canal Bridge was closed and reopened twice Tuesday due to high winds.
An alert from the state Department of Transportation said the bridge was closed to traffic until further notice as of 2:24 p.m., but that crews were standing by to reopen the span when winds decrease or conditions change. That change came at 3:51 p.m. when the bridge was reopened.
That closure came after sustained winds shut down traffic across the span for about two hours Tuesday morning.
Transportation opened the drawbridge span at 10:55 a.m. Tuesday after closing it at 8:46 a.m.
The bridge that runs on state Highway 104 between the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas is subject to closure during high winds, and a wind advisory is in effect for the Puget Sound region until 4 a.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
A flood watch is in effect until 4 p.m. Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.
“Closing the bridge to traffic by opening the drawspan helps relieve intense pressure on the bridge,” DOT said.
The weather conditions on the shore can be different than what is happening in the middle of the canal, where there is no barrier to the wind, DOT said.
