A Tacoma bridge is closed to cars until further notice due to ‘technical malfunction’

One of Tacoma’s two movable bridges is closed to cars until further notice, the city announced Wednesday.

Motorists should avoid the Hylebos Bridge, located in the Tideflats off East 11th Street, because of a “technical malfunction,” according to a city news release. A contracting crew and Tacoma’s Public Works Engineering Division are working to fix the problem.

Some 1,000 vehicles drive across the bridge each day, said city spokesperson Maria Lee, citing the latest data from 2017. The structure experiences issues at times, largely because of “how sea water has affected its communication cables,” she told The News Tribune via email.

This isn’t the first time that the Hylebos Bridge has had to be mended this year.

Repairs began in mid-February after a ship hit it last fall, The News Tribune reported at the time. That round of work was estimated to last for at least two weeks.

In October, a shipping vessel damaged the bridge by striking its western protective fender system, the newspaper previously noted.

The Hylebos Bridge was built in 1939 and rehabilitated more than a decade ago in 2012, per the city’s website.

Although vehicles will not be able to use the bridge for now, it is still open to shipping vessels, according to the news release. Updates will be posted to the city’s social-media pages and website.

The city is waiting for the contractor to provide updated cost estimates, Lee said. No information about the work’s timeline was available as of Wednesday afternoon.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional information.