Part of this popular 21-mile trail in Pierce County will be closed for at least a year
A bridge on the Foothills Trail won’t be accessible for another year or two.
The Spiketon Ditch Bridge is unsafe for public access, according to Pierce County’s website. The county, as well as the bridge designer and manufacturer, determined it must undergo major repairs or replacements.
The 15-year-old bridge is between South Prairie and Buckley.
Pierce County spokesperson Andriana Fletcher wrote in an email that the bridge cannot safely support its weight and the weight of pedestrians and bicyclists because several parts of the bridge have “significant structural defects,” such as rot and water intrusion, among other things.
In July, inspectors found damage on the top chord of the bridge. The bridge has been closed since November, The News Tribune reported in December.
“No trespassing” signs have been installed. Trail users must not cross the bridge. There is no detour. It will take one to two years for the bridge to be repaired or replaced, according to the website.
Fletcher said the county must obtain environmental permits before the bridge can be fixed because it crosses Spiketon Creek. The permitting process can be long for a project like this because the county must get approval from several agencies, she said.
“It is possible that certain access rights may need to be obtained from private property owners to complete the work. Heavy construction equipment will be necessary to make the repairs, which may require access from both ends of the bridge crossing,” Fletcher said.
Fletcher said it is too early to tell how much it will cost to repair or replace the bridge.
Kimberly Freeman, a resource stewardship superintendent for Pierce County, said the plan is to have “full information and a path forward” sometime in June.
“Whether we pursue repair or replacement, it will take a considerable amount of time for design and permitting before we can construct. Bridges typically involve limiting work to specified summer months to reduce impacts to fish,” Freeman said.
This story was originally published April 14, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
