Major piece of popular Pierce County trail reopens after nearly two years, $1.4M
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- Pierce County reopens Spiketon Ditch Bridge on Sept. 13 after $1.4M rebuild
- Bridge reconnects 24-mile Foothills Trail from Puyallup to Buckley for cyclists
- Project faced 2025 delay due to unstable soil findings during construction review
A major bridge that has been closed for nearly two years on a popular Pierce County trail will reopen this weekend.
The Spiketon Ditch Bridge is set to reopen on Sept. 13. According to the project’s website, a grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The bridge is a major part of the Foothills Trail, which takes pedestrians and bikers about 24 miles between Puyallup and Buckley. The $1.4 million bridge replacement project connects part of the trail between South Prairie and Buckley.
Pierce County closed the bridge in November 2023 because of water and pest damage, cutting off the trail between the Lower Burnett Bridge and 268th Avenue Court East. Now, pedestrians can take the trail all the way between Buckley and Puyallup again. It’s also the first time bicyclists will be able to ride the full 24 miles from Puyallup to beyond Buckley. A new Foothills Trail bridge across the White River opened after the old Spiketon Ditch Bridge between South Prairie and Buckley closed.
Crews demolished the bridge in June 2024, expecting to open the new bridge on July 1, 2025. But the project was delayed when a construction analysis found unstable soil near the bridge, requiring more testing and design planning.
According to a news release from the county, several officials are expected to be at the grand opening ceremony – including Ryan Mello, the county executive; Dave Morell, who represents District 1 on the Pierce County Council; and Breanna Fokes, the executive director of the Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition. There will be refreshments after the ceremony.
“The Spiketon Ditch Bridge is located in a remote area without direct public access. Guests will need to walk, ride, or roll in from either the South Prairie or Buckley Trailheads,” the release said.
Guests can also join one of the following groups:
- Foothills Coalition Group Bike Ride: This group will leave at 10:30 a.m. from the Doc Tait Pavilion at the Buckley Trailhead.
- Pierce County Parks walk: This group will leave at 10:30 a.m. from the South Prairie Trailhead.
- Tacoma Washington Bicycle Club Ride: This group will leave at 9 a.m. from the East Puyallup Trailhead.
This story was originally published September 11, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
