Like the view of Mt. Rainier when the fog lifts over Hale Passage, details of the proposed new Fox Island Bridge grew clearer last week when Pierce County released its long-promised final Type, Size, and Location Study for the bridge replacement project.
The final TSL study, prepared by consultants HDR Engineering, adds precision to discussions of a new Fox Island Bridge’s expected size and price tag.
It stops short of endorsing any of the three proposed locations under consideration for the new span. It also reiterates the Pierce County’s position that a new bridge, in the near term, is no certainty. The county may still pursue a deferral option in which it keeps patching up the old, deteriorating bridge for as long as 20 years before replacing it…