**Please also Save the Date for the District 7 IN-District Meeting for June 2, 2025 at 5:30 pm located at the Nichols Community Center where the main focus of the Council meeting will be updates on the Fox Island Bridge.**
Fox Island Bridge
I want to express appreciation to the Fox Island Community and Recreation Association (FICRA), as well as a number of individual Fox Island residents, for their efforts in monitoring the bridge, providing forums for bridge meetings, and helping distribute bridge information to Fox Island residents. It is so important that accurate, transparent information is relayed to the community to minimize rumors and disinformation.
History/Where We Are: At the conclusion of the county’s previous Phase I study in November of 2016, Pierce County determined that the Fox Island Bridge is approaching the end of its financially maintainable life. The county continues to actively maintain the bridge, to the tune of millions of dollars, while also taking the steps required to determine design options for a replacement structure.
In 2023, the county requested consultant proposals for the Fox Island Bridge (No. 26211-A) “Type, Size, and Location” study. The TS&L report will include several design options at different price points.
Upcoming Public Opportunities for Feedback: TS&L Open House (#2) – The county will host its second Fox Island Bridge open house on April 8 from 5 to 7:30 at Fox Island United Church. Staff will show the potential options evaluated for a new crossing and the pros and cons for each. Open House attendees will have an opportunity to hear a presentation from the design team, review designs in an open house format, ask questions, and provide feedback.
District 7 In-District Meeting – On June 2nd from 5:30 – 7:30ish at the Nichols Community Center: The County Council will hold an official Council meeting, the focus of which will be District 7 Infrastructure Projects, highlighting, of course, the Fox Island Bridge. Planning and Public Works will present on progress made to date and the results from the April 8th Open House and talk about the next steps.
Funding the Bridge: The discussions about how to fund the Fox Island Bridge will get serious once we have an approved design and we know the cost estimate. Federal funding for this type of project is limited and competitive (and honestly, all Federal Funding is very questionable right now). We understand that it is extremely advantageous if local or state funding sources can be secured first, and the project is “shovel ready”, meaning design and permitting are nearing completion and any right of way needed is acquired. For these reasons, any larger federal funding request is likely some years away. In the meantime, we are keeping our State and Federal Legislators up to speed on the Bridge Project.
As funding becomes available, the next step after a design is chosen is to advance the project into the design, permitting, and right-of-way procurement phases.
Bridge Repair Work
Here is the latest on each of the three repair/maintenance projects:
1. The Fox Island Bridge bearing repair project, CRP 5949, is complete. This project focused on repairing degraded bearings on the mainland end of the bridge, Pier 17, and Pier 20.
2. The Fox Island Bridge Girder Repair project ($7.7 million) includes the design and repair of 16 concrete girders with cracks and/or spalls with rusty reinforcing steel exposed on the bottom flange of the girders. This repair is anticipated to include girders in spans 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 14. Design work began in 2024 and continues into 2025. Construction is anticipated in 2026-2028. (CRP 5959)
3. Various Other Repairs ($10.5 million) – includes design and repair of the concrete girder dapped ends (concrete bearings at the steel span sections), bearing grout pads, bearing anchor bolts, piers, and pier walls. Design work is anticipated to begin in 2026-2027, followed by construction in the following years.
As you know, the Fox Island Bridge project is huge and complicated. There is a long way to go, but we are making progress. I’ll do my best throughout this process to keep you informed. I appreciate the Fox Island community’s engagement and advocacy thus far and your partnership in seeing this project through to a successful completion in the future.
Here is the County’s Fox Island bridge website to stay up to date on the latest information: Bridge #26211-A / Fox Island Bridge (CRP 5807) | Pierce County, WA – Official Website (piercecountywa.gov)
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