Councilmembers Lisa Herbold (West Seattle & South Park) and Alex Pedersen (Northeast Seattle) celebrated the anticipated reopening of the West Seattle Bridge on September 18th, 2022.
“At long last, the day we’ve been eagerly awaiting is almost here: the bridge is on the verge of reopening,” said Councilmember Lisa Herbold. “I want to extend my sincere appreciation and gratitude to the residents and businesses of West Seattle and Duwamish Valley communities who have shown such extended resilience and patience since the West Seattle Bridge closed.”
“I share the relief of 100,000 neighbors that we are finally reopening this vital regional bridge that connects all of us,” said Councilmember Alex Pedersen, Chair of Seattle’s Transportation Committee. “This long-awaited re-opening is less of a celebration and more of an expression of gratitude to the engineers and construction workers who carefully repaired this vital regional bridge to make it strong and safe again. While we are all grateful to see the bridge repaired and re-opened after two and a half years of repairs, I believe this must serve as a wake-up call to reprioritize and reinvest in all Seattle bridges. In a growing city carved by waterways, forged by the harsh experience of the West Seattle Bridge closure, and armed with the audit we obtained to assess our aging infrastructure, I look forward to new SDOT leadership prioritizing proactive improvements to Seattle’s aging bridges, because the people and businesses of Seattle cannot afford another bridge closure.”
To address safety concerns, SDOT abruptly closed the West Seattle high bridge on March 23, 2020, after inspectors discovered cracks expanding fast in the structure, which was erected in 1984. Since then, the City of Seattle has worked to resolve the shutdown, and has eventually opted to repair the bridge rather than replace it. Repair work has been ongoing for two years but has been slowed by the current regional concrete strike. The high bridge is the city’s busiest bridge, transporting 100,000 automobiles, trucks, and buses every day. The closure has significantly impacted traffic, trade, and the quality of life in West Seattle, the Duwamish Valley communities, and around Seattle.
For SDOT’s website on the West Seattle Bridge restoration work, CLICK HERE.