Aging Nisqually Suspension Bridge in Longmire forced to reduce vehicle weight limits for crossings

LONGMIRE, Wash. — Due to its condition, vehicles weighing over 3 tons or 6,000 pounds are no longer permitted to cross the Nisqually Suspension Bridge in Longmire.

The decision comes after a recent inspection found that the weight limit must be reduced due to the bridge’s age and current condition.

One of the oldest suspension bridges in the National Park System, the Nisqually Suspension Bridge is a historic landmark at the Mount Rainier National Park.

Originally built in 1911 as a pedestrian bridge, it was rebuilt in 1924 to make way for automobile traffic and rebuilt in 1952 and 2005.

The bridge connects visitors to the Eagle Peak Trailhead, the Longmire Community Building viewpoint, the Valor Memorial and the Longmire Stewardship Campground near the south bank of the Nisqually River.

According to the National Park Service (NPS), this is the only remaining timber-frame vehicle suspension bridge designed by the NPS.

Here are some examples of what is over 3 tons:

• Recreational vehicles (campers, trailers, or motorhomes)
• Heavy maintenance trucks, box trucks, fuel trucks or snowplows
• Medium-duty pick-up trucks (Example: Ford F350, Chevy/GMC/Ram 3500) or SUVs with Campers or 5th Wheel Trailers
• Large trucks/SUVs that exceed the weight limit even without trailers (Example SUVs: Ford Expeditions/Explorers, Chevy Tahoe, Toyota Sequoia/4Runner, GMC Yukon/Acadia, Dodge Durango, etc. Example trucks: Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150 Lightening, Ford F-150 XL, GMC Hummer EV, GMC Sierra 1500, etc.)

With no weigh stations in the area, visitors could search the internet for vehicle weights.

Visitors with vehicles over the limit will need to park at the Longmire parking area near the National Park Inn and cross the bridge on foot, wrote Mount Rainier National Park in a Facebook post.

©2024 Cox Media Group