The city is getting $3.5 million in federal funding for two projects related to the bridge. The money will be routed from the Puget Sound Regional Council, and the City Council gave its unanimous approval today to accepting it. Here’s how the council staff’s memo explained the plan:
The PSRC Executive Board has agreed to allow the City to use $2 million of the grant award to
conduct a Type, Size, and Location Study for the eventual replacement of the West Seattle Bridge. This study will allow SDOT to explore replacement concepts, such as rebuilding the bridge or pursing a shallow immersed tunnel. This conceptual analysis would lead to future environmental review of alternatives and development of cost estimates.The remaining $1.5 million of the grant award will be used to support One Center City Transportation Demand Management programs. SDOT intends to use these funds to respond to the West Seattle Bridge closure and focus these programs on providing alternatives to single-occupancy vehicle trips between West Seattle and Downtown. The PSRC funding would provide for program incentives, marketing, user survey assessments, and staff time.
That’s all separate from federal funding that would be pursued toward actual repair and/or replacement of the bridge. P.S. As for what’s happening with the bridge itself, stabilization work is continuing, as updated at last week’s Community Task Force meeting.
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