High Steel Bridge

Truss arch bridge in Mason County, Washington

47°22′05″N 123°16′48″W / 47.368°N 123.28°W / 47.368; -123.28CarriesPassenger vehicles and logging trucks, formerly trainsCrossesSouth fork, Skokomish RiverLocaleMason County, Washington, U.S.Official nameForest Service Road 2202Maintained byUnited States Forest ServiceCharacteristicsDesignTruss archMaterialSteelTotal length685 ft (209 m)^[1]Height375 ft (114 m)^[1]HistoryDesignerAmerican Bridge Co.Opened1929^[1]

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

LocationShelton, WAMPSHistoric Bridges/Tunnels in Washington State TRNRHP reference No.82004265 ^[1]Added to NRHPJuly 16, 1982 Location Map

The High Steel Bridge is a truss arch bridge that spans the south fork of the Skokomish River, on National Forest Service road #2340 in Mason County, Washington, near the city of Shelton.^[1] The bridge is 685 feet (209 m) long, and its deck is 375 feet (114 m) above the river.

History

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 structures, the Simpson Logging Company felt that only a permanent bridge would justify their investment.

The bridge was converted to a roadway in 1964, though it continues to be used for logging.^[2] On July 16, 1982, the bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places.^[1]

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
^ Soderberg, Lisa (June 1979). "Historic American Engineering Record Inventory: High Steel Bridge". National Park Service. Retrieved October 30, 2020.