WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE: SDOT’s last weekly update

If you’ve been on the SDOT mailing list for weekly West Seattle Bridge updates – today’s newsletter is the last one, they’ve announced. Here’s the final update, three weeks post-reopening:

The West Seattle Bridge has been open to travelers for nearly 3 weeks, and people are transitioning back to their pre-closure travel patterns. Nearly 2/3 of pre-closure bridge travelers have returned to the high bridge over the past few weeks.

Traffic on the Spokane St Swing Bridge (low bridge), which is now open for everyone 24/7, has decreased by 30%, improving the flow of goods in and out of Seattle’s busy port. Traffic volumes on West Marginal Way SW, which were 250% higher than pre-closure volumes, have decreased dramatically. Elsewhere on the former detour routes – such as East Marginal Way S and 1st Ave S – the number of cars on the road has returned to what it was prior to March 2020.

Traffic on the low bridge, which sits just below the West Seattle Bridge, was down by more than 30% since reopening to all users.

People traveling to and from West Seattle are getting time back in their daily lives as traffic continues to adjust after the bridge reopening.

This decrease in traffic volumes across West Seattle means that people are getting to their destinations in less time. Peak travel times on most former detour routes have decreased significantly and people commuting to downtown from some neighborhoods in West Seattle have seen their travel times cut in half.

While more and more people get back on the bridge for their commutes, we will continue to monitor and inspect it in the months to come. Our first comprehensive inspection following the reopening confirmed that the repairs are doing their job and keeping the bridge strong and stable.

Doug Greenswag October 7, 2022 (5:46 pm)

It would be helpful if SDOT released a report on the performance of the repairs. With all the new sensors and monitors they should have real world data on the repairs, the cracks and stress on both. That should be public information.

Also John October 7, 2022 (7:40 pm)

I agree with Doug. I thought we’d be reading exactly that. I want to read what’s happening internally within the bridge structure.
What Me Worry October 8, 2022 (9:10 am)

Agreed. And what we are hearing, the language in this report, takes celebratory view of the data, perhaps trying to put the conversation to rest. After 3 weeks, with a 30% decrease on the low bridge and only 2/3 of the pre closure traffic having returned that one could also infer that driving patterns have changed. A separate conversation but I’d like to know is, what steps are being taken to plan for replacement? People seem to have a lot of faith in the repairs or take the view that reinforcements “have to work” but I’d hope that the city is looking forward and taking action.

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