A late-night climb to the top of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge ended with two teens in handcuffs and a whole lot of frustrated drivers on Saturday, after the stunt shut down westbound traffic on State Route 16 for nearly two hours while troopers worked to bring the pair down.
Washington State Patrol troopers were called to the east tower on the bridge’s westbound side around 9:40 p.m., where they found two male teens, ages 16 and 17, perched on the structure. The duo was taken into custody on suspicion of criminal trespassing, according to The News Tribune. Police activity kept westbound traffic at a standstill until the scene was cleared.
Troopers say the teens also face obstruction charges after allegedly trying to hide from officers on the bridge. A small Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance elevator was pressed into service to bring them back down to the roadway. "It took some time because only so many people can ride in it at one time," Trooper Kameron Watts said, per The News Tribune.
Why One Climb Can Cripple the Commute
The Tacoma Narrows span is a key SR 16 link between Tacoma and the Kitsap Peninsula, so even a short closure can quickly ripple into long backups on westbound approaches. City planning documents that rely on Washington State Department of Transportation counts peg the bridge’s recent average daily traffic at nearly 96,000 vehicles, underscoring how disruptive any incident on the structure can be, according to the City of Tacoma environmental review.
Legal Implications
Authorities booked the minors on suspicion of criminal trespass and obstruction, two separate offenses under Washington law. Criminal trespass in the second degree is classified as a misdemeanor, while obstructing a law enforcement officer is a gross misdemeanor, per RCW 9A.52.080 and RCW 9A.76.020.
Officials did not immediately release additional booking or court information. The Washington State Patrol reported no injuries from the incident and reiterated that bridge structures are not safe places to climb.
