It may be temporary, but this hefty East Pierce bridge will hold just about anything
It’s not permanent, but it’ll get you across the creek.
A temporary bridge on state Route 162 across Spiketon Creek near Buckley has opened to travelers.
Crews working for the state Department of Transportation finished installing the bridge and re-opened the highway in east Pierce County last week.
It took more than seven months for Hamilton Construction Co. to install what WSDOT is calling one of the largest single-span, multi-lane temporary bridges ever produced by its manufacturer.
Acrow Bridge built the 240-foot-long, 32-foot-wide bridge for two lanes of traffic.
Good news for truck drivers: There are no load restrictions, WSDOT said.
The original bridge was closed in August 2018 after engineers found that piers — the large columns that hold up the bridge — had settled to a degree that the 83-year-old bridge was too dangerous to use.
The bridge is east of South Prairie on Pioneer Way East, connecting the town to Buckley and Wilkeson.
WSDOT expects approximately 5,600 vehicles to use the bridge each day.
Construction on a permanent replacement won’t begin until 2026, WSDOT said. At that time, the temporary bridge will be removed and stored for future use.
