Pierce County bridge closed indefinitely

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Interlaaken Bridge in Lakewood (City of Lakewood)

LAKEWOOD, Wash. - The Interlaaken Bridge in Lakewood is closed indefinitely to all cars and pedestrians, city officials said.

The city of Lakewood hired an engineering firm to analyze the bridge and they identified that the bridge's wooden beams were at a "high rate of deterioration."

Some of the beams were replaced during previous bridge maintenance and the structure was inspected on a routine basis, which happened in 2019, 2021 and 2023. This was the standard inspection schedule.

The city said photos from the inspections were evaluated recently by the engineering firm to determine the beams' deterioration.

During an inspection last week, officials found the deterioration among three pile caps had progressed quickly from the last inspection. According to the city, the pile caps are now unsafe to handle the load capacity of the bridge.

On Friday morning, city engineers met with the Pierce County Engineer’s Office and consultants to review the latest inspection analysis, and it was recommended to close the bridge to all traffic.

It will remain closed while the city reviews its options for how to proceed.

Engineers will be assessing how the crossings under the bridge can stay open to water traffic.

"It is anticipated that a number of these passages under the bridge will be closed for safety reasons," city officials said.

The public is asked to obey all posted closure signs and pedestrian traffic is not permitted.