New weight limit restrictions are in place for the Interlaaken Bridge that crosses over Lake Steilacoom.
Vehicles that weigh over 6 tons are not permitted and will need to use an alternate route. Most personal vehicles are under 6 tons and will not be impacted by this change.
The weight restriction is being imposed out of an abundance of caution. At the end of December the City of Lakewood received results of a bridge inspection. The inspection showed the bridge has issues with a number of its pier cap beams that span the pilings.
Because of this, it is recommended the maximum load limit be lowered to 6 tons. This will lessen potential weight strain on the bridge.
The City of Lakewood is working with the state Department of Transportation to create a plan to repair the damaged components and restore the load limit. For any questions please email Public Works Engineering Director Paul Bucich, pbucich@cityoflakewood.us.
Signs indicating the new weight restrictions are posted at the following locations:
- Mount Tacoma Way and Motor Avenue
- Mount Tacoma Way and Waverly Drive
- 104th Street and Hipkins Road
- Interlaaken Drive and Lake Steilacoom Drive
- Interlaaken Drive north of 112th Street
It seems to me that replacing the bridge with a wider and more pedestrian-friendly bridge would be a better solution than a temporary fix of the piling or whatever needs replacing.
Obviously, it would cost more but, replacement must be on the table in any event, as that bridge has been around quite a while and is most probably way out of code and/or not earthquake-proof.
For pedestrian safety, it would be so much better to widen the bridge and give ample room for pedestrians to cross paths with ease, on either side, so that it lessens the danger of being hit by a vehicle. Whether there has been any recent incidents is beside the point: One death which could have been prevented is too many.
Building a modern, stronger, wider, and safer bridge should be the priority now. Thoughts?
I’ll wade in to reply with your thoughts. At current design and construction costs, a conforming bridge would run north of $25 million. The existing bridge is functionally obsolete, meaning anything other than bridge maintenance like this requires seismic analysis and retrofit, which would get up there close enough to bridge replacement.
The pier cap replacement will run around $500,000, depending upon how many caps are sour. The $500,000 is a drop in the bucket (one year in the annual inflation costs while the City awaits budget, design and permits, probably 10-15 years if everyone is motivated).
It’s a good idea to replace the caps now, regardless of the intent to replace the bridge, if that is their intention. FYI, feds are not doling out money for that bridge any time soon. It’s going to be a heavy lift by the local citizens.