New bridge and park at Point Defiance to open in July

TACOMA, Wash. -- A three-year, nearly $75 million project to build a new bridge and park at Point Defiance is near completion with an opening planned for next month.

The Wilson Way Bridge and Dune Peninsula will open July 6, and Metro Parks Tacoma says the 40-acre area comes with a lot of sights to see and things to do.

“The views from the Wilson Way bridge are spectacular,” says Aaron Pointer, president of the Board of Park Commissioners. “This park provides the full scope of the beauty of our environment — from Puget Sound and the Olympics to Mount Rainier and the Cascades.”

The project started in June 2016 with crews simultaneously working to build a 605-foot-long pedestrian footbridge and clear the peninsula which was covered with slag from the nearby Asarco smelter.

Metro Parks Tacoma says the bridge connects Point Defiance and Ruston Way, and the park offers a trail loop and other amenities.

This was the largest project in Metro Park’s history.