FOLLOWUP: Delridge pedestrian-bridge retrofit project now open for bidding

| Delridge | Transportation | West Seattle news

(WSB file photo)

New on the city’s bidding website, several earthquake-safety retrofit projects around the city – including the pedestrian overpass at Delridge and Oregon, between the south end of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center and the east side of Delridge Playfield/Community Center. This comes one year after the decision to keep and retrofit the bridge – after community opposition to proposed removal – was announced. Scope of the project is described as follows:

Seismic retrofit project that involves retrofit of superstructure, columns, and footings through section build up and/or use of CFRP wraps, as well as separating ramps from the structure and building up a lightweight fill support for ramps, adding new expansion joints at the ramps, removing and reinstalling handrails, and modifying the ends of handrails at new expansion joints.

In 2021, SDOT estimated the retrofit cost as ~$4 million; the estimate is now up to more than $5 million. It’s already retrofitted the area’s other pedestrian overpass, the SW Andover bridge over the southwest end of the West Seattle Bridge. The deadline for bids on the Delridge/Oregon project is January 17. The work could last up to a year, according to this slide deck from a briefing last year.

Cat December 28, 2023 (8:03 pm)

What do we need to do to get some public art on the new bridge that compliments the nearby mural?? This is the gateway to the Delridge and Youngstown neighborhood and a big opportunity for placemaking

WestSeattleBadTakes December 28, 2023 (11:54 pm)

The pedestrian bridge already tells us so much.
- CarDriver December 29, 2023 (7:05 am)
  
  WSBT. ok, I’ll bite. What does it tell us-besides its function of providing a safe-and scenic way to cross the street.
- DC December 29, 2023 (8:27 am)
  
  It tells us that West Seattleites will fight tooth and nail to resist change at any cost? Whether building new houses or taking down unneeded deteriorating structures that are not ADA compliant . Some art wouldn’t hurt though. If people insist on this god-awful, inaccessible eye sore remaining, at least cover it up with some local art.
  - Bus December 29, 2023 (11:50 am)
    
    This pedestrian bridge is worth saving because crossing the street below is terrifying and dangerous. It’s not displacing any houses. It’s making one intersection a little safer for pedestrians who want to take the bus to the community center. It’s okay to fix structures that are serving a purpose.

Derp December 29, 2023 (10:09 am)

You would think that they could come up with a better plan. Than spending in upwards of 5m to replace this bridge. But leave it up to the City and West Seattle to spend more money they don’t need to. You could do an all way stop, at the intersection, for the 3 or 4 people that use this bridge daily. What a waste of money. Housing?Homeless? Come on people stop the insanity

WSB December 29, 2023 (11:30 am)

It’s not a replacement, to be clear, it’s a retrofit (see description of work from the bid solicitation).
- Derp December 29, 2023 (11:31 am)
  
  Even worse then… imo

Big Dave December 30, 2023 (2:27 pm)

Crosswalks and traffic signals, as depicted in the WSB image, make the bridge obsolete. Most humans are too lazy to take the long way (up and over the bridge). Spending $4M in maintenance seems regressive.

StupidInSeattle December 31, 2023 (4:14 pm)

This pedestrian overpass bridge was built decades ago – I want to say the 1950s – after a child crossing Delridge to get to the then Cooper elementary school – was struck and killed by a passing car. Having raised my own two young sons in the neighborhood and taking them over that bridge to Delridge park I can say that the bridge is very necessary to eliminate the dangers of crossing a busy street with children. I am glad that it will be retained for families to use in the future.

Look Both Ways January 1, 2024 (8:39 pm)

This is an eyesore and huge waste of funds — especially if only a retrofit. West Seattle continues to amaze in its need for street crossing assistance where pedestrians are few and far between. The intersection just up Delridge at Genessee is busier, yet doesn’t have (nor need) a crossing bridge.

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