You might ask: Why is a boat hanging from a crane along I-5 in Tacoma? Here’s the answer

It’s a sight that might prompt people driving I-5 through Tacoma to do a double-take.

We’re talking about that boat often seen hanging from a crane in the middle of the construction site near the Puyallup River bridge.

So what’s it for and why is it stored in such an unusual fashion?

We asked state Department of Transportation spokeswoman Cara Mitchell for some answers.

The boat has been available to the construction crew doing work on I-5 since the final portion of the Tacoma/Pierce County HOV program began construction in February 2019. The construction, slated to wrap up in fall 2021, will result in a new southbound Puyallup River bridge on I-5, Mitchell said.

Guy F. Atkinson Construction/Jacobs Engineering was contracted by WSDOT for the job, according to WSDOT’s website.

“Anytime you’re doing work across a body of water like that, it’s pretty common to have access to a boat for construction activities,” Mitchell said.

The boat helps the crew install temporary pilings for the platform that is being used to construct the bridge, and maintain and update water-monitoring systems in the river. The boat is raised onto the crane when not in use.

“It’s an easier storage method for the contractor,” Mitchell said. “That area … there’s rail lines down there, there’s the river, there’s the banks — it’s a very tight worksite. And so, being able to store items like that, it’s just easier to maneuver a boat around off of a crane than anywhere else.”

Mitchell said the contractor has not provided an updated construction schedule, but it is working toward getting all general-purpose travel lanes onto the new southbound I-5 Puyallup River bridge later this summer. HOV lanes in both directions will then be striped in, which Mitchell said will hopefully happen early to mid-fall.

This story was originally published July 22, 2021 at 5:00 AM.