High Steel Bridge

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.

High Steel Bridge
High Steel Bridge
Coordinates	47°22′05″N 123°16′48″W
Carries	Passenger vehicles and logging trucks, formerly trains
Crosses	South fork, Skokomish River
Locale	Mason County, Washington, U.S.
Official name	Forest Service Road 2202
Maintained by	United States Forest Service
Characteristics
Design	Truss arch
Material	Steel
Total length	685 ft (209 m)[1]
Height	375 ft (114 m)[1]
History
Designer	American Bridge Co.
Opened	1929[1]
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Shelton, WA
MPS	Historic Bridges/Tunnels in Washington State TR
NRHP reference No.	82004265 [1]
Added to NRHP	July 16, 1982
Location

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]

See also

• List of bridges in the United States by height

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.