Historic bridges

Washington State historic highway bridges 

Federal and state laws require WSDOT to consider the effects of project actions on cultural resources – including historic bridges and roadways. The Washington State Historic Bridges Inventory (PDF 2.09MB) includes 30 columns of data on over 300 bridges across the state. An interactive map of this data is available on the WSDOT Community Planning Portal in the Environment>Historic Bridges layer.

The bridges represented in this data set have been determined or recommended eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). This list is not static and should not be assumed to be a comprehensive list of all historic bridges in Washington State. It was created for planning purposes, to provide WSDOT staff, partner agency staff, and the public key information about previously documented historic bridges.

To determine if your project will impact an NRHP-eligible historic bridge, contact your regional or modal Cultural Resources Specialist to conduct an evaluation. The WSDOT Cultural Resources Compliance Guidance for Historic Bridge Projects (PDF 113KB) provides a step-by-step guide to the Section 106 and Section 4(f) review processes.

Historic bridge thematic context study of Washington State bridges

The Historic Bridge Thematic Context Study of Washington State Bridges (PDF 9.24MB) summarizes the history of bridge development in Washington State under six context areas, including Geography and Climate, Exploration and Settlement, Transportation, Commerce and Economics, Military, and Recreation. Intended for use by cultural resources practitioners, it also includes guidance for evaluating the historic significance and integrity of bridges under NRHP Criterion A. 

Interstate highway bridges

The 2005 Section 106 Exemption Regarding Effects to the Interstate Highway System by the Advisory Council of Historic Preservation (ACHP) excludes the majority of Interstate Highway Features from consideration as a historic property under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) maintains a list, by state of Nationally and Exceptionally Significant Features of the Federal Interstate Highway System not subject to the ACHP’s Exemption. This list includes interstate highway bridges and segments of highway containing bridges determined by the FHWA to be of exceptional national significance in Washington state.

Post 1945 concrete and steel bridges

The Program Comment for Common Post-1945 Concrete and Steel Bridges issued by the ACHP in 2012 eliminates the historic review requirements under Section 106 of the NHPA for common (mass produced) post-1945 concrete and steel bridges and culverts. The intent of the Program Comment is to streamline the review process for those structures that lack distinction, have not previously been listed or determined eligible for listing on the National Register and are not located in or adjacent to historic districts. A list of exceptions to the Program Comment (Bridge Program Comment Excepted Bridges List), identified by state, include common post-1945 concrete and steel bridges and culverts of exceptional quality that remain subject to Section 106 review.

Historic bridge sales and donations

Federal regulations (23 U.S.C. 144) require WSDOT to provide an opportunity for the adoption or reuse of historic bridges, determined significant according to National Register criteria, and scheduled for replacement. Proposals must demonstrate the recipient can successfully relocate or preserve the bridge in place, to maintain its historic character. Contact Kelsey Matson, Kelsey.Matson@wsdot.wa.gov for more information.

Explore the history and engineering of unique bridges, past and present 

Ebey Slough Bridge (SR 529)

This YouTube video Remembering the Ebey Slough Swing Bridge describes how the Ebey Slough Bridge served Snohomish County for 85 years before being replaced in 2012. Of the 16 swing bridges in 1944, only three remain today.

Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge (I-90 Floating Bridge)

Explore the life of Lacey V. Murrow, the second director of the Washington State Highway Department who was best known for building the historic Lake Washington Floating Bridge, on this YouTube video: They Called Him ‘The Skipper’: The Life and Times of Washington's Lacey V. Murrow.

Manette Bridge (SR 303)

In the 1920s, it was apparent that the communities of Manette and Bremerton needed a bridge to connect them. High costs prevented financial backing from being offered on a city, state or federal level. Watch this YouTube video and learn about how the bridge came to be built through the collaborative efforts of the city and Navy: The Manette Bridge: Bringing People Together for 81 Years.

Puyallup River/Meridian Street Bridge (SR 167)

For more than eight decades the Meridian Street Bridge over the Puyallup River has served as a portal for cities along the Puget Sound to the community of Puyallup. Significant for its unusual truss configuration using an unusual parabolic top cord truss design, it is the only one of its kind in Washington. Learn more from this YouTube video: The Historic Meridian Street Bridge

Watch a time-lapse video of the historic 1920s era steel bridge as it is lifted and moved about 60 feet to the east: SR 167 Puyallup River Bridge Move.

Simpson Avenue Bridge (US 101)

This YouTube video explores the history of the Simpson Avenue Bridge and the innovative work the WSDOT bridge crews did to repair the bridge with minimal cost and impact to the traveling public: The Simpson Avenue Bridge: A Case Study in Maintenance Success.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge

The SR 16 Tacoma Narrows Bridge project website provides information on the design, engineering and people responsible for the fateful 1940s bridge known as “Galloping Gertie,” the 1950s replacement and the addition in 2007 of the parallel eastbound bridge. The site includes lesson plans developed for grades 1-4 in Social Studies, Math, Science and Language Arts for educators.