This busy East Pierce County bridge has been closed since 2020. It’s about to reopen
The wait is coming to an end.
Drivers and pedestrians in Puyallup will soon have access to the Veterans Bridge, also known as the Milwaukee Bridge, beginning March 1 at 2 p.m. The bridge has been closed for 18 months, since October 2020, in an effort to fix it.
Drivers can expect the feeling of a newly paved bridge deck, senior civil engineer Drew Young said in a news release. Pedestrians can also expect a wider sidewalk as it will be 6 feet wide instead of 4 feet wide. People will also have better access to the Riverwalk Trail.
The contractor is working to install safety railings on the bridge as well as utilities such as water, electric and fiber lines, according to the city’s website. Work is expected to finish in mid-February.
Vehicles will be allowed on the bridge at 2 p.m. on March 1. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier in the day at 10 a.m. to celebrate the bridge’s reopening, according to the news release.
“As the new Mayor of Puyallup, I am personally excited to see this project completed,” Mayor Dean Johnson said in the news release. “Our residents have been patiently waiting a long time to see the bridge reopen.”
The bridge stretches over the Puyallup River, starting from Milwaukee Avenue Northeast to Fifth Street Northeast. It was built in 1962, averaging about 10,000 vehicle trips per day. The city anticipates that will rise to about 24,000 trips by 2032, The News Tribune reported.
Bridges that are used for public transportation need to be inspected every two years, according to the city’s website. A 2013 report showed that the bridge has a sufficiency rating of 15.32 out of 100, which means it was “structurally deficient” and that it was failing.
The report said the bridge had about 10 years worth of life left and needed to be replaced or rehabilitated, or else its condition would have continued to worsen and it would be permanently closed, according to the city’s website.
City officials hope the work to fix the bridge will last for another 20 years or so, spokesperson Eric Johnson said.
The project cost $17 million total with $12 million stemming from federal grants, The News Tribune reported. The rest is covered by the city.
This story was originally published February 7, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
