High Steel Bridge

High Steel Bridge is a truss arch bridge, that spans the south fork of the Skokomish River, on Forest Service road #2202, near the city of Shelton, Washington in Mason County, Washington.[1]

High Steel Bridge
High Steel Bridge
Coordinates47°22′05″N 123°16′48″W
CarriesPassenger vehicles and logging trucks, formerly trains.
CrossesSouth fork, Skokomish River
LocaleMason County, Washington
Official nameForest Service Road 2202
Maintained byUnited States Forest Service
Characteristics
DesignTruss arch
MaterialSteel
Total length685 ft (209 m)[1]
Height375 ft (114 m)[1]
History
DesignerAmerican Bridge Co.
Opened1929[1]
LocationShelton, WA
MPSHistoric Bridges/Tunnels in Washington State TR
NRHP reference No.82004265 [1]
Added to NRHPJuly 16, 1982
Location

The bridge is 685 feet (209 m) long, and its deck is 375 feet (114 m) above the river.

Logging Usage

Built in 1929, the bridge originally carried a rail line whose construction made logging operations possible in new areas of the Olympic Peninsula.

Along with the Vance Creek Bridge, it was one of two similar bridges built for the rail line by the Simpson Logging Company, which contracted its construction to the American Bridge Company.

At the time of the bridges' construction, new rail lines for logging were becoming increasingly cost-prohibitive, and most companies began using trucks in their place.

The expense of rail led to the bridges' unusual steel construction; while most logging bridges were temporary wooden structions, the Simpson Logging Company felt that only a permanent bridge would justify their investment.

1964 Roadway Conversion

The bridge was converted to a roadway in 1964, though it continues to be used for logging.[2]

Historic Register

The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 16, 1982.[1]

See also

Notes
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. Soderberg, Lisa (June 1979). "Historic American Engineering Record Inventory: High Steel Bridge". National Park Service. Retrieved October 30, 2020.


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