SR 167/Puyallup River Bridge Replacement

Client

Washington State Department of Transportation

Completion Date

2015

Designer

Jacobs Engineering Group

Location

Puyallup, Washington

Delivery Method

Design-Build

Division

Northwest

Contract Value

$23 million
SR 167 Puyallup Bridge

SR 167 Puyallup River Bridge Replacement replaces the historic 1925 Warren Truss bridge with a new northbound bridge. Atkinson's approach differed from WSDOT's original contract plans, which involved constructing a new four-span concrete bridge west of the existing southbound bridge. Instead, Atkinson delivered a three-span, 557-foot-long steel girder bridge within the footprint of the existing northbound bridge. This approach eliminated the proposed southbound widening, along with associated retaining walls, utility relocation, ground improvement, and signalized intersection work. To facilitate this, the project team built new temporary piers and approach roadways, and the Warren Truss was moved to the east to serve as a temporary northbound detour. This strategy maintained northbound traffic at existing capacity throughout construction.

The use of a steel bridge offered several advantages, including the removal of in-water piers and associated fish window limitations from the project schedule. It also provided flexibility for future master plan construction and accommodated potential levee widening.

The project site presented complex geotechnical challenges. Soil conditions comprised fill soils overlying an artesian aquifer and a substantial alluvial deposit susceptible to liquefaction, lateral spreading, and settlement during seismic events. To address these conditions, Atkinson used large-diameter drilled shafts designed to withstand the soil and artesian water conditions, and abutment design improvements enhanced global stability. The use of rotator-oscillator drilling methods minimized the risk of vibration-induced settlement affecting existing structures and utilities.