It’s been nearly three years since a massive landslide destroyed a bridge on Spirit Lake Highway, blocking access to the Johnston Ridge Observatory, but the state says a contract is now in place to replace the bridge.

The Washington Department of Transportation has awarded a $2.68 million contract to Farline Bridge Inc. to replace the bridge at milepost 49 of the highway. The project is expected to be finished by the end of summer; however, the Johnston Ridge Observatory is still scheduled to remain closed until spring of 2027, as the state originally reported, because power and other services at the facility need to be restored.

The landslide, which reportedly buried the bridge in more than 300,000 cubic yards of debris, happened in May of 2023.