The Hood Canal Bridge will be shut down for three nights in early June so crews can make improvements to the lighting along the span.

The bridge will be closed to traffic from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. from Tuesday, June 6 to Thursday,
June 8.

The work will remove antiquated hardware and reduce the bridge’s carbon footprint, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The lighting improvements are part of a $1.6 million project to reduce energy use on the bridge. 

Sixteen light poles will be removed from the bridge, while 34 light poles will be upgraded and fitted with more efficient light-emitting diode lights.

Officials said the new LED lights are designed to light the roadway for travelers while limiting excess light from reaching the water and surrounding beaches.

The project adds three overnight closures to the shutdowns that have already been announced for an unrelated project; the repairs to the bridge’s centerlock system.

“We try to combine as much work as possible to reduce down time for travelers,” said Hood Canal Bridge Supervisor Paul Gahr. “However, the lighting work requires the bridge span to be locked in place, while repairs to the centerlock system require the opposite.”

Emergency responders will still be able to cross the span during the nighttime light work.

“The bridge span will be locked in place during the lighting work. So, we will be able to accommodate first responders and escort them across in the event of an emergency,” Gahr said.

When complete, the lighting upgrades are expected to save taxpayers more than $28,000 in utility and operational costs annually, reduce carbon emissions equivalent to planting 63 acres of trees, and lower light pollution for wildlife in the area.

The lighting upgrades are part of a larger project that focuses on energy improvements at the Hood Canal Bridge, including weatherization and HVAC system upgrades in both control towers, and lighting inside the towers.