WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE: Repair update expected Monday

(WSB photo, last week)

One week ago, after Mayor Durkan‘s visit to Husky Deli, we reported that we had talked there with SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe, who told us to “expect some good news right after Thanksgiving” regarding West Seattle Bridge repairs. That news is scheduled for Monday morning (November 29th), when he and the mayor will brief media reps at what the announcement calls an event “marking the start of (the) final phase of West Seattle Bridge repairs.” Contractor Kraemer North America. which also handled the stabilization work on the bridge last year, has begun on-site preparation work, SDOT said last week.

26 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE: Repair update expected Monday"

  • CarDriver November 26, 2021 (12:42 pm)

    WSB. Do you know if the contractor will be allowed to speak?  I would give a LOT more credence to what they say than what we’ve had to endure from SDOT & politicians.

    • Avid bridge user November 26, 2021 (1:40 pm)

      Why would the contractor want to speak? 

      • Hammer I. Hand November 27, 2021 (8:11 am)

        I think it would be great to hear from the contractor To get a boots on the ground perspective. For SDOT it would show transparency I am sick of getting filtered info from Ms. Marx. She is no bridge builder.  I hope there is built in Incentives, Bonus for each milestone e reached in including an  completion date.  Get done early $100,000.  Work around the clock 24/7 Set up big lights let’s get this done that would show the public that city hall understands the impact this has had all around 

        • Derek November 27, 2021 (11:21 am)

          Lol why not try your luck at waving a magic wand… you want hard working people out there in the specific way you want for your inconvenience? Not how it’s going to work. I have faith it gets done by the August 2022 date.

          • WSB November 27, 2021 (11:29 am)

            The date is “mid-2022” (which they have been consistent about since the day the mayor announced “repair, not replace”), not August. We of course will be seeking something more specific, as I would assume now they can’t keep deflecting with “final contract not signed yet.”

        • Carmel Slee November 28, 2021 (7:54 am)

          I agree!    Hopefully Mayor Bruce will have SDOT audits (he ran on transparency) and also work performance reviews weekly. Quality of work matters! Morale matters.  The $ spent with no accountability has to stop! 

  • PSPS November 26, 2021 (1:01 pm)

    I can’t remember when Zimbabwe ever had “good news” for any normal car drivers.

  • CarDriver November 26, 2021 (2:06 pm)

    ABU. The contractor is the ONLY one on site and is the ONLY one that can give us the FACTS as to what repairs have been done and what’s left to do. They’re the ONLY ones that can give a realistic completion date. SDOT has FAILED to inspire confidence that they’re actually doing anything right here. It could very well be that they’ve done all they could as fast of they could but their communication skills would make a great 3 stooges skit.

    • WSB November 26, 2021 (2:10 pm)

      That is not true. SDOT staff including roadway structures director Matt Donahue have been there frequently. Anyway, there’s no speakers list for Monday so far – they aren’t even deciding until that morning (due to weather concerns) whether it’ll be on the bridge or online. Even if someone from Kraemer did speak, it would typically be a company executive rather than someone directly involved. – TR

    • wetone November 27, 2021 (3:08 pm)

        Come on now CARDRIVER, to much common sense your asking for…. trying to get real info from SDOT.  I keep wondering why there has been ZERO accountability with-in SDOT and city for those in charge of the maintenance of Highrise.  Issue first discovered many years ago with nothing done…….. leading to highrise being shut down for couple years….. Don’t think this would to happen in any other city with-in the US.  Hell those in charge at time have all probably gotten big pay raises and promoted with the way this city and SDOT operates ;) 

      • KWS November 28, 2021 (12:35 pm)

        I don’t think we’ll ever see anyone punished or dismissed for the errors that damaged the bridge. The problem seems to have centered around an expansion/contraction point that could not move. since the concrete of that span had no place to go, it began and continued to crack. If those expansion points were key for the bridge to move as needed during hot and cold seasons, they should have been monitored since completion of the bridge. Why weren’t those measures in place?    If you want some juicy reading about the bridge’s history going all the way back to the fully functioning drawbridge we used to have,  check out wikipedia/West seattle bridge. Doesn’t paint a pretty picture about the DOT.

  • CarDriver November 26, 2021 (2:15 pm)

    WSB. Has Mr Donahue given you any updates that you could publish? Frankly, i’d take an update from a Kraemer exec over any SDOT pontification.

  • cjboffoli November 26, 2021 (2:21 pm)

    The only “good news” I want to hear is that the bridge will reopen to traffic sooner than expected. 

  • Tim P November 26, 2021 (7:13 pm)

    Solved my bridge problem this week.  Moved east.  Unfortunately still in King County, but not in the Disfunction Junction.

    • onion November 27, 2021 (1:14 pm)

      Bunch of whiners in these comments. The bridge will reopen midyear barring any unforeseen cataclysm such as a big quake. And I wouldn’t expect the contractor to say anything different than the city reps.

      • Hammer in Hand November 27, 2021 (9:05 pm)

        Whiners, Really…have you ever remodeled a house   Everything is great until your hear your contractor say hmmm “that’s interesting” or “that’s something we did not expect” that translates into delays and costing more. This project will be late and cost more. And then let BS flow. Remember it was SDOT’S lack of maintenance, inspections, that has us in this  predicament  

  • AdmyrlBridge November 26, 2021 (9:15 pm)

    I’m anticipating bad news; recall all the hand-wringing about the long lead design items to shore up the existing bridge, create platforms, supports etc etc.  I don’t know that I see anything visible yet (still) – so either they’re doing something completely different and internal to the bridge, or we’re gonna get a lump of coal.

    • James November 27, 2021 (9:10 am)

      All of that has been done. There were platforms hanging under the bridge for the shoring work for months. Just because you didn’t see it doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Keep that head buried in the sand.

    • Derek November 27, 2021 (6:36 pm)

      A lot of the work is done. It’s all the post tensioning. Did you expect big visible changes? That was never in any design. 

      • WSB November 27, 2021 (6:56 pm)

        For those who are interested in visible evidence, they have said that new work platforms will be hoisted – I expect we’ll get some timeline on that Monday. (They couldn’t reuse the old ones as the stabilization work was limited to the center span, while this involves more of the bridge.)

  • Lucy November 27, 2021 (1:34 pm)

    I will bet a lot of money that less than three months after the reopening, there will be major lane closures to do other maintenance work on the bridge.  Because you know they aren’t doing it now.  

  • Auntie November 27, 2021 (1:36 pm)

    Y’all might as well sit back and watch and wait. It will happen when it happens. We have dealt with it this long, so chill out. Besides, when it opens, you’ll probably be stuck in traffic crossing it instead of stuck in traffic heading for the 1st Ave S Bridge. Perhaps you have forgotten what it was like heading out of West Seattle during morning rush hour – stop and go.

  • CarDriver November 27, 2021 (1:54 pm)

    Onion. If expecting SDOT to properly inspect and maintain our infrastructure and if problems arise work hard to fix and open and maintain open and honest communication with us the taxpayers and users-who are paying for the repairs and their salaries then YES i’m a whiner!! Might ask you to elaborate on why you feel we’re “whiners”

    • Carmel Slee November 28, 2021 (8:01 am)

      You are so correct!  We have been very patient!  We have every right to be pissed about this! It was preventable! No accountability! With our money! Lots of $$. 

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