On Sept. 26, the City of Bellingham reopened North Lake Samish Bridge, restoring public access to one of Whatcom County’s most beloved natural spaces, Samish Park.
The bridge had been closed for safety concerns as aging infrastructure made it unsafe for use. For many residents, the closure left a gap. One of Bellingham’s most popular destinations suddenly became unreachable. It felt wrong to cut off a place that means so much to the community.
James Lee, engineering manager for Whatcom County Public Works, said the bridge replacement was a long but rewarding process.
“I’ve been part of our public works department on this project from the very beginning,” Lee said. “It truly takes a team for us to deliver a project like this.”
Community feedback shaped much of the project’s design.
Lee said the project began with a site study and that input from the Lake Samish community helped shape the bridge’s current design.
The project faced many challenges. While local resources covered the design phase, securing significant outside funding was necessary before construction could begin, Lee said.
The local Whatcom community supported the effort from the start, understanding that the project meant more than just a bridge. For me, it meant the final steps in reopening a place that had been in my childhood. Samish Park is now projected to be open at the end of 2025.
Samish Park had been a place I would frequently visit since I was a child. To me, it was Whatcom all packed into one area. Hiking, kayaking, swimming, fishing and picnicking have all been missed by the county.
Now we are finally a step closer to having those experiences back with the replacement project complete.
“It’s like a blessing to be able to come out here again,” said Samish resident Reece Wenger. “To have what is basically your backyard given back to you is a special thing.”
In the end, the North Lake Samish Bridge project cost $10 million and took 18 months to complete, finishing on Sept. 19. For some residents, the 18 months felt long overdue.
“I used to bike here every day when I was a freshman,” said Owen Drayton, a third-year Everett Community College student. “I didn’t know if I was going to be here when it was reopened, so it’s really a huge relief for me at the end of the day.”
The project to bring North Lake Samish Bridge back to the community brought the workers and the Samish Lake residents together, with Whatcom County Public Works being there consistently to deliver a promise to the Samish Community.
“Seeing it through to the end and being able to thank the community for their patience was really rewarding,” Lee said. “Watching folks drive across the new bridge for the first time with big smiles on their faces made all the hard work worth it.”
With Samish Park’s bridge open again, Bellingham regains more than a scenic lakefront. It also regains a piece of its shared spirit. The reopening stands as both a celebration of engineering and a reminder of how vital public spaces are to community life.
Bellingham is about to have its backyard back. Now it is up to everyone to protect it, to care for the places that connect us, and to never take them for granted again.
Devin Green (He/They) is a third-year Journalism major and Opinion reporter for The Front this quarter. When he is not double-emailing interviewees, Devin is community organizing, reading or sleeping. You can reach them at devingreen.thefront@gmail.com.
