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SUMNER, WASH. — It’s an aging bridge with historical significance. Both factors will come into play as the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) determines the future of the SR 162 Puyallup River Bridge (also known as the McMillin Bridge) in Sumner, Wash.

The bridge’s unique design and concrete construction landed it on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. As a result, WSDOT is complying with federal laws to develop and evaluate alternatives that avoid, minimize, or mitigate effects that may be adverse to the structure.

WSDOT is asking residents interested in the bridge to weigh in during the evaluation process and provide input on the future of the bridge. The public can contact the project office (fuchss@wsdot.wa.gov), and can also request community briefings, and sign up to receive e-mail updates to get additional information about the project.

“This is a one-of-a-kind structure that’s on the National Historic Register, but it is aging and simply no longer meets motorists’ needs,” said Steve Fuchs, WSDOT project engineer. “Because of its historic status, we are required to alert the public about its significance and solicit input on what to do with it.”

Options being considered include rerouting the nearby Foothills Trail onto the McMillin Bridge, adding another segment to the Foothills Trail that utilizes the McMillin Bridge, leaving the bridge in place as a historical monument for interpretive purposes, or removing it in its entirety.

The SR 162 Puyallup River Bridge was constructed in 1934, and is not only too narrow to safely accommodate today’s traffic, but is showing signs of deterioration. WSDOT engineers are designing a new bridge immediately downstream of the McMillin Bridge with a wider roadway that meets current engineering and safety standards. Construction is scheduled to begin in summer 2011.

To find out more information, provide input about the project, or see photos of the bridge, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr162/puyallupriverbridge.