The City of Tacoma has been awarded a $7.6 million BUILD grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support the environmental analysis and final design of the Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge replacement project. The overall cost of this phase comes out to $9.6 million, which includes a $2 million local match provided jointly by the City of Tacoma and the City of Fife.
“A competitive economy depends on reliable infrastructure,” said Mayor Anders Ibsen. “This BUILD award is a major step toward restoring one of the South Sound’s most important transportation connections. It gets us closer to a construction-ready project that will reconnect the Port of Tacoma, the Puyallup Tribe, the City of Fife, local businesses, and the thousands of people who rely on this corridor every day. This investment will help ensure Tacoma and the South Sound remain competitive while reinforcing a supply chain that serves the entire nation. Thank you to Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and Representatives Emily Randall and Marilyn Strickland for their leadership in making this project a federal priority. Freight infrastructure is a national asset, and this award from the U.S. Department of Transportation recognizes that local communities shouldn’t have to carry the burden of supporting our nation’s supply chain alone.”
The Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge, originally built in 1927, was closed for traffic in October 2023 due to a failed safety inspection. The bridge’s closure significantly affected local commutes, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians’ access to resources, and up to 15,000 cars and trucks using the route daily.
The replacement bridge would eliminate a two-mile vehicle detour and up to 45-minute pedestrian detour between Tacoma and Fife. It is anticipated to be a new multimodal structure with a separated 15-foot shared use path, sidewalk protection, an extra travel lane, and a transportation system designed for the safe passage of heavy freight.
Besides solving problems related to localized congestion and emission of vehicle pollutants, the replacement bridge is also anticipated to include environmental protections in its design. In order to better withstand the effects of seismic and flooding events, the new design replaces existing deteriorating 1920s era wooden piles with durable concrete piles. There will be modern bioswales installed in the project as well, to clean and treat stormwater runoff and prevent tire dust pollutants from entering the Puyallup River and adversely affecting Coho Salmon habitats.
As it directly connects to the Port of Tacoma, the third busiest container gateway in the nation, and a designated commercial strategic seaport supporting Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the replacement of the bridge would also support the uninterrupted operation of national and military supply chains.
Environmental analysis and design is projected to start in December 2026, and is expected to be completed by December 2027. After the conclusion of this phase, the City will seek funding for construction.
Construction of the bridge is anticipated to cost at least $263 million.