Fox Island bridge deemed 'structurally deficient'
Fox Island Bridge (Courtesy: Carl and Gloria Tenning)
SEATTLE -- The nearly 60-year-old Fox Island Bridge has been added to a list of Pierce County bridges in need of replacement after an underwater inspection revealed holes up to several feet deep in concrete foundation footings, The News Tribune reported. The finding led officials to deem the 1,950-foot-long bridge "structurally deficient."
Even with the damage, the county has no immediate plans to repair or replace the bridge, which connects Fox Island to the Gig Harbor Peninsula, the Tribune reported.
Repairs could cost $50 to $60 million. The county's bridge engineering supervisor, Kraig Shaner, told the newspaper that the bridge's footings are stable and the foundation is not compromised, despite gouges found in all 12 of the bridge's piers with concrete footings.
Shaner said replacement of the bridge could still be as many as 20 years down the road.
Read more from the Tribune here.