SR 167 Puyallup River Bridges open ahead of schedule

Both northbound and southbound State Route 167 bridges over the Puyallup River have reopened to traffic. 

• The northbound lanes reopened at 3:25 p.m. today, more than 13 hours earlier than scheduled.
• The southbound lanes reopened at 11:50 a.m. today, 17 hours earlier than scheduled.

The closures allowed crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation to relocate a steel truss bridge, that is no longer in use. The span was moved via a series of dollies to WSDOT property roughly a quarter-mile away. 

“Something of this magnitude is far from routine,” said Dewayne Matlock, WSDOT project engineer. “We are very happy everything went according to plan.” 

WSDOT would like to thank drivers who remained patient and planned their trips carefully with WSDOT’s online travel toolsto avoid delays. These efforts helped reduce congestion during the work. 

What’s next? 
The bridge will be stored on WSDOT land for up to four years. WSDOT’s goal is to offer the bridge for another purpose, such as a bridge for pedestrians. If unsuccessful, the steel will be recycled.