4 bridge-related notes:

STABILIZATION-WORK UPDATE: That photo of the bridge’s underside, credited to Alex Francis, is part of this week’s SDOT update on bridge-stabilization work. From the update:

This week, the contractor is planning to:

*Continue prepping for the post-tensioning work
*Continue prepping for Pier 18 access
*Continue inspecting, mapping, and filling cracks

The work continues atop, beneath, and inside the bridge.

MAYOR’S BUDGET PLAN: With the repair-or-replace decision still up to a month away, what will Mayor Jenny Durkan propose for the bridge in her 2021 budget? We’ll find out in a few hours – her plan goes public at 1 pm today, and the council’s budget work starts tomorrow. So far, the city has allotted $70 million via an “interfund loan,” but that’s just a down payment. The council doesn’t finalize the budget until November, so there’s theoretically time for change once the decision is in.

CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION: After the mayor’s presentation, the council has its weekly business meeting at 2 pm today, one day later than usual because of Yom Kippur. Besides the low-bridge-camera legislation we reported on Monday, the agenda has one other bridge-related item. A resolution calling for review of potential Comprehensive Plan amendments that would be considered next year includes one now described as a “review of policies and maps in the Comprehensive Plan to determine whether any changes are warranted due to the failure of the West Seattle Bridge.” This is a revision of the proposal from community member Deb Barker, which we first reported on three weeks ago.

REMINDER – TOWN HALL TOMORROW NIGHT: The bridge is scheduled to be the focus of the second hour of City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s two-hour online “town hall” 5:30-7:30 pm Wednesday (as announced last Friday). To get the viewing link, and info on asking questions, you have to RSVP here.