WSDOT to close East Pierce County bridge for a month

Washington state Department of Transportation engineers will close one of the bridges along state Route 162 for a month starting Thursday night.

Crews will be repairing the deck and inspecting the Spiketon Creek Bridge, which is east of South Prairie on Pioneer Way East, connecting the town to Buckley and Wilkeson.

The initial survey of the bridge showed that one of the bridge’s piers had settled, prompting WSDOT to close the bridge early, the agency announced Thursday.

The bridge was to close Sunday to Sept. 20 as workers patch concrete during the day and allow the fresh concrete to cure overnight.

“Our approach to this work is to ‘get in, stay in — get out, stay out,’” Chris Keegan, WSDOT’s regional bridge operations engineer, said in a statement. “By concentrating the work into an around-the-clock closure, we will finish the work more quickly, save money, and provide a safer work zone for everyone.”

A signed detour will be set up to get drivers around the bridge: Eastbound drivers will go north on Mundy Loss Road, east on state Route 410 into Buckley, then south on state Route 165, and westbound drivers will take that same detour the opposite directions. The detour is expected to add a few minutes to drivers’ trips.

The portion of the Foothills Trail that goes beneath the bridge will remain open during the construction project.

During the inspection work, WSDOT engineers will determine whether weight or length restrictions need to be placed on the bridge. Engineers have long-term plans to replace the bridge.

This story was originally published August 12, 2018 at 11:39 AM.