A “milestone” in the effort to reopen State Route 169’s Green River (Kummer) Bridge was reached last week with the completion of excavation work on the south end of the bridge, state Department of Transportation officials reported.

The excavated area needs to be reinforced to strengthen the base of the bridge, which connects Black Diamond and Enumclaw. Hundreds of truckloads of dirt were removed.

A DOT spokesman said officials this week hope to set dates for revealing designs of renovation to the public.

Construction is expected to begin in January. The bridge will remain closed until the project is finished, tentatively next June.

The state closed the bridge in November because soil around a pier for the bridge was unstable.