Every 24 months, someone is sent out to the Fox Island bridge do a survey of the top part of the bridge and every 60 months there is an underwater inspection. Recently during an under water inspection by Pierce County, the Fox Island bridge was rated down to 7.33 from 33, on a sufficiency scale of 1-100. According to federal standards, a bridge should be replaced if it rates 50 or below on the sufficiency scale. The Skagit River bridge spanning I-5 was rated a 57.4 before it collapsed in late May. Could it be possible that we have a collapse ahead of us? The bridges rating went down due to the fact that while inspecting Pierce County found several gouges ranging from nine inches to six feet deep extending several feet into the face of the concrete foundation footings. Although most of the gouges are only one to two feet deep, some of the holes go as deep as 6 feet into the cement, although none go all the way through the beams. The bridge was built in 1954, replacing a ferry that ran 8 times a day. This makes the bridge nearly 60 yeas old, and in desperate need of repairs. The discovery of the cracks a gouges led officials to declare that the Fox Island Bridge is, “structurally deficient.”

Despite the bridges new status as “structurally deficient”, officials say that the bridge is still safe to cross and most likely will not collapse. However, residents still have a feeling of uncertainty as they must still cross the bridge because it is their only way to on and off the island. The whole island relies on the bridge and if it collapsed, nearly 3,633 people would be stranded. The bridge is 1,950-foot-long, and is the

longest of 141 spans owned by Pierce County. Approximately 6,400 cars cross it daily making it one of Pierce counties busiest bridges. “Replacement for the bridge may be as far as 20 years down the road, depending on the availability of federal funding” said, Kraig Shaner, Pierce County’s bridge engineering supervisor.

The estimated replacement cost for the bridge is $50 to $60 million. However, the county is currently making efforts to initiate the beginning stages of repair and replacement. A maintenance project is scheduled for late March to determine how much money will be granted for the project. This project is intended to replace six of the aging bearings, three of which are on each end of the bridge. The next step for the county after replacing these aged bearings, is for the county to arrange for a type, size, and study location (TY&L) study. This crucial project will provide the preliminary designs and begin the environmental process. So while the bridge might not be up to par with others in the Puget Sound area, there is no immediate danger to driving on it. The residents of Fox Island are in no peril and will be able to continue using the bridge until the county starts restoring it.