West Seattle, Washington
28 Thursday
A lot of the work that’s been happening toward stabilizing the West Seattle Bridge has been out of view – unless you have a view of the bridge deck. As of this morning, here’s something you can see from under the bridge too. We’ve been reporting that a platform would be hoisted from a barge for placement under the bridge, with SDOT saying last week that it would happen early this week – and here it is.
For perspective, here’s a view from the east Admiral slope:
This will give crews access for work detailed by SDOT here. As they’ve explained, the stabilization work (by contractor Kraemer North America) must be done regardless of whether the city decides to repair or replace the bridge.
P.S. The next West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force meeting is this Wednesday, noon-2:30 pm. We’ll publish the link as soon as we get it. Also – have you answered the Reconnect West Seattle survey(s) yet?
11:02 AM: Two announcements from the city today, almost four months since the sudden shutdown of the West Seattle Bridge.
First – the mayor has finally officially declared the closure a city emergency, signing a proclamation today (see it here). That potentially paves the way for state/federal assistance with paying for repair/replacement (see that document here).
It’s been a long time coming; at least one community advocate – Morgan Junction’s Deb Barker, who’s a member of the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force, has been suggesting it since June (we followed up with the mayor after that and were told she was considering it). Barker said today, “The Mayoral Proclamation of Civil Emergency tells the rest of the City and the region that the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge closure is a life-impacting event of epic proportion for thousands of people, and that it is not business as usual in West Seattle until the bridge connection is restored.”
Whether that will be via repair or replacement won’t be determined until later this summer; that’s what SDOT communications director Michael Harold reiterated last night in a presentation to the Morgan Community Association (full report on that later). But today there’s another indication that repairs are possible – the Technical Advisory Panel has issued a new statement to that effect:
The TAP has not been presented with any information that indicates that a long-term repair is infeasible or economically unviable. We therefore recommend that this option be retained and fully explored.
In making this statement, we have relied on documents provided by SDOT in the WSHB Technical Advisory Panel file repository, as well as presentations, responses to formal questions, and technical discussions with SDOT and WSP. No original bridge calculations, shop drawings or field notes were available for TAP review as those records do not exist within SDOT records or City archives. It should be noted that aspects of the As-Built drawings have come under scrutiny by SDOT and WSP and that the TAP has been advised to consider these documents as only partially representative of the final configuration of the bridge at the time of construction. No current survey data, geotechnical assessment, or seismic vulnerability evaluation were provided for consideration. While photos inside the box girders were made available, the TAP did not perform any visual observation of bearings or the box girder structure.
This recommendation is predicated on SDOT’s acceptance that the bridge will not be brought up to current seismic standards if repaired. We note that there is currently uncertainty with respect to the capacity (number of travel lanes) that a repair option would provide.
We understand that WSP is currently analyzing a Phase 2 long-term repair option; no analysis or calculations for the proposed long-term repairs were reviewed to confirm adequacy of such repairs. If/as more information is provided to the TAP, we reserve the right to revise this statement accordingly.
This reinforces what SDOT’s Matt Donahue told the Community Task Force a month ago, as reported here. SDOT elaborated on that less than a week later, explaining that they’re also evaluating “how long repairs would take, how much they would cost, whether or not repairs would allow traffic to return to previous levels, and how long and in what capacity the bridge could remain open after potential repairs were completed so that we can tell whether or not fixing the bridge is a worthwhile investment.”
Regardless of which path is pursued, the bridge still has to be stabilized first, SDOT says, and that work is under way; the hoisting of a work platform up to the bridge is now set for early next week, Harold told MoCA last night.
1:40 PM: After reading the TAP statement while writing this story, we asked SDOT’s Michael Harold about the TAP note regarding documents, since we recalled Matt Donahue at one point mentioning the existence of a sizable amount of old documents. SDOT just sent this clarification:
We have provided the Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) with all West Seattle High-Rise Bridge documents and information which we knowingly possess after performing a meticulous search for digital, physical and microfilm records in the records vaults and archives of several City departments and requesting records from the original bridge contractors. Nothing that the TAP has asked for which is knowingly in our possession has been withheld. We want the best possible outcome, and need to use the best possible data to make that happen. To clarify, the TAP is not implying that all of this information exists yet; for example we did not conduct new survey data because we determined that the exhaustive data provided by our daily inspections, intelligent monitoring system and non-destructive testing was both a sufficient and superior basis for our analysis. The TAP believes it is important to be explicit about what information they did or did not have to inform their conclusions, and we support that approach.
9:14 AM: The West Seattle low bridge has cracks- but don’t panic.
That’s one of the low-bridge updates SDOT has just posted.
From the post:
… It is normal and expected that all concrete bridges will eventually form cracks which help relieve stress from this movement. Small cracks in the Low Bridge have been closely monitored and tested to ensure that they do not affect the bridge’s structural integrity.
Fortunately, these cracks are only a few inches deep and are not progressing at rates remotely like the sudden crack growth that led us to close the High-Rise Bridge. We are confident that the Low Bridge’s crack depth, growth patterns, and type do not indicate that the bridge is unsafe for live traffic. …
However, SDOT says it’s taking steps to be sure things don’t get worse:
*Monthly inspections (federal standard, SDOT says, is every two years)
*Real-time monitoring
*Lowering the speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph
*Banning low-bridge access “for the largest and heaviest trucks at 70+ ft and weighing over 207,000 pounds, about two-and-half times the maximum weight allowed on highways under state and federal law without a special permit to drive over the legal weight limit (the technical term for this is Over-Legal 2 or OL-2 class trucks). This will only affect about a dozen trips per week, and will not affect any emergency vehicles, buses, or freight trucks within legal weight limits.
*Carbon-fiber wrapping “as a precautionary measure” – we asked SDOT communications director Michael Harold for the timeline; his reply, “We are working with our consultants and contractors, as well as FHWA, to finalize plans and then move forward with haste, but don’t have a specific timeline to share at this time.”
Read all the details on SDOT’s site here.
1:53 PM: In our original exchange with SDOT this morning, we asked for any available related reports. So far they’ve sent this letter (and the linked document) written by acting roadway structures director Matt Donahue on June 30th about the load rating:
The attached PDF is the draft load rating summary table that we recently received from Jacobs… the difference between page 1 and page 2 is the amount of strength calculated using the Resal Effect Method… page one is for 0.9(Resal Effect) and page 2 is for 1.0(Resal Effect). As you can see from the differences in the Rating Factors (RF) the result is very sensitive to only a 10% change in the Resal Effect. Note that load rating calculations were made using live load test data.
This sensitivity indicates that there is likely real world behavior and additional strength capacity in the bridge that is not captured in the load rating calculation. As such I intend to handle management of the bridge with administrative methods that include the following:
Reducing the inspection frequency from every two years to:
Real time monitoring with Structural Health Instrumentation that takes crack width gauge readings every 20 seconds, reduces them to an average over 5 minutes and then reports off of the bridge to an interactive website. Similar to the WSHB SHMI this system will be set with alarm thresholds that contact RS engineering staff 24/7/365 via cell phone with any issues
Monthly arm’s length inspection of the interior girder surfaces at crack locations
Yearly inspection of accessible exterior girder surfaces via UBIT
Reduction of the speed limit over the bridge to 25 mph along with installation of flashing speed monitoring signs
Close coordination with SDOT Commercial Vehicle Enforcement to make sure that any permit applications for OL1 and OL2 vehicles receive the appropriate level of review by Roadway Structures
Engagement with WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Enforcement to coordinate receipt of permits they issue for loads terminating within Seattle so that we can contact operators that may try to use the low bridge for permit loads without an application to SDOT CVE due to their lack of knowledge of the need to do so
Outreach to the Commercial Vehicle Freight Board and other commercial carrier stakeholders to make sure that they are aware of the situation
Maintenance of the centerlock shimming system to reduce the impact of loads transiting the bridge
Implementing a strengthening program to return RFs to ≥ 1.0 that will likely involve addition of a combination of post tensioning strand and CFRP for completion by the end of 2022.
Meantime, a commenter asked about other bridges around the city and we noted that City Councilmember Alex Pedersen (the council’s Transportation chair) had requested an audit three months ago. We asked about the status. His response sent by a staff member via email:
ADDED 8:19 PM: From another exchange tonight with SDOT, they told us:
To clarify, there are no new cracks. The cracks being discussed have been there since the late 1990s. We observed some growth during an inspection last summer, but since then we have conducted numerous tests which verified that the cracks are only a few inches deep, do not penetrate through the girder walls, and are not growing. As you know, it is normal and expected that all concrete bridges will eventually form cracks which help relieve stress, and there is are no indications that this type of crack should affect the Low Bridge’s structural integrity.
The cracks are mentioned in this March document from the load-rating process.
Have you answered one or more of the surveys launched on Friday as part of what SDOT calls Reconnect West Seattle? According to an email shared with us by a community advocate, SDOT already had 5,000 responses by mid-morning today. There are multiple ways to participate – a 33-question survey for everyone in West Seattle, aimed at gathering data about how you traveled off/on-peninsula before the bridge was closed March 23rd, and what it would take for you to try an alternative while the bridge is out, plus four neighborhood-specific surveys with potential projects to mitigate the effects of bridge-detour traffic. They’re all linked in our Friday story and available in eight languages via the Reconnect West Seattle website. They’re open until the end of the month.
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.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
One month after its first public mention of Reconnect West Seattle as an umbrella label for dealing with post-bridge-closure mobility issues, SDOT has just gone public with the tools for you to help shape it.
RWS has two goals – “to restore travel across the Duwamish to similar levels seen before the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge closure and reduce the impact of detour traffic in Duwamish Valley neighborhoods such as Highland Park and South Park.”
Toward the first goal, there’s a survey for everyone on the peninsula – more than 30 questions, from your commute/travel habits pre-bridge/pre-pandemic, to what you would need to try a different mode of travel – as shown in the graphics above (displayed at recent briefings), something they hope thousands of people will do.
Answer the peninsula-wide survey here.
The information will help SDOT and its partners – other transportation agencies such as Metro, primarily – figure out what they’re going to have to do to avoid total gridlock once people get back to cross-Duwamish commuting in much larger numbers. The questions all have opportunities for you to explain your answers if you want to, so give yourself some time – it’s not one of those quick one-pager types.
The other Reconnect West Seattle component that’s going public today: The Neighborhood Prioritization Process. Potential-project lists have been created for four areas that have been hit the hardest by bridge-detour traffic – Highland Park/Riverview/South Delridge/Roxhill, South Park, Georgetown, and SODO. People who live, work, and/or study in any or all of those areas are asked to review the lists – compiled from a slew of suggestions already made – and pick up to ten they think would help. (If you have a suggestion that’s not on the list, there’s a chance to suggest it.) Note that these aren’t all traffic-moving suggestions – the idea is to address the effects of the detour traffic.
Direct links to the survey-format prioritization lists:
Highland Park/Riverview/South Delridge/Roxhill
South Park
Georgetown
SODO
Both the all-WS survey and the neighborhood prioritization process are open until the end of the month. SDOT says it’s trying hard to be sure as many people as possible. If you know someone who would rather have a paper “ballot” for prioritization, here are PDF versions you can print: Highland Park/Riverview/South Delridge/Roxhill, South Park, Georgetown, SODO. (Each has instructions nn how to send it in.) Also, you can request paper ballots by calling 206-400-7511 or emailing westseattlebridge@seattle.gov.
Other languages? The ballots are available in seven languages – Chinese Traditional, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese, Khmer, Korean, Oromo; the links will be available via a Reconnect West Seattle webpage that should be live soon. (11:48 AM: Here it is.) The city also is sending a postcard about all this via postal mail to every household in West Seattle – look for that in about a week.
So what happens after you’ve sent in your answers? The West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force will be involved in reviewing the results in August, at its August 5th and 19th meetings. A plan will be shaped from there, with action to follow. All the while, SDOT is also in discussions with those partner agencies – and your feedback can shape the path of those discussions too.
(SDOT image: Crews on the bridge today)
From the “if you don’t laugh about it, you’ll cry” department … Yes, we’re semi-stuck on West Seattle Island, but every so often, you can’t help but see a little humor in it – evidenced by the stickers and yard signs that have popped up. Today, here’s one of those chances to do more than despair: Your chance to vote in the T-shirt design contest presented by the West Seattle Art Walk and WS Junction Association. As featured here previously, they put out a call for designs – and now more than 70 entries are ready for your consideration! You can see them all here, and vote for your five favorites, before the end of the month. The top three vote-getting designs will be produced as T-shirts and sold locally.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The decision on whether the West Seattle Bridge will be repaired or replaced has not yet been made. but the topic of the day was how to pay for whichever option is chosen.
Not only was that a spotlight topic as the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force‘s fourth meeting, it was also the topic of an SDOT Blog post published during the meeting. So that’s the topic with which we begin, after the slide deck and first of two videos from the meeting:
BRIDGE FUNDING: During her part of the meeting, SDOT’s Heather Marx reviewed the “fundamental funding truths” of the bridge project – all based on the premise that the city doesn’t have the money to fund repair or replacement without supplementation.
9:54 AM: Just a reminder that the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force has its fourth meeting today, online at noon. You can watch here – or, if you’d rather call in to listen, the number is 408-418-9388, access code: 146 162 4832. We’re awaiting the agenda, but one major topic today will be the impending release of neighborhood-specific lists for potential Reconnect West Seattle projects to address detour-route traffic. SDOT had said the lists would be made public this past Monday but now tells us Thursday or Friday.
11:13 AM: Here’s the agenda.
While we await the Reconnect West Seattle proposed-project ballots, we know one thing for sure – the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force will have its fourth meeting tomorrow. We have the link for Wednesday’s noon meeting – you’ll be able to watch here. If you’d rather call in: 408-418-9388, access code: 146 162 4832. (Our coverage of the last meeting June 24th is here.)
4 bridge notes as the 16th week of its closure appraches:
RECONNECT WEST SEATTLE: Tomorrow’s the aay that SDOT has said it will go public with ballots to vote on potential projects that can help with bridge-closure-related traffic in four areas – Highland Park/Riverview/South Delridge/Roxhill, as well as South Park, Georgetown, and SODO. Each area’s ballot will ask you to choose up to 10 of the projects; voting will be open until the end of the month.
COMMUNITY TASK FORCE: This advisory group’s fourth meeting is scheduled for Wednesday (July 8th), noon-2 pm. We’ll publish the link for real=time viewing as soon as we get it from SDOT.
FEDERAL FUNDING? Our area’s U.S. House Rep. Pramila Jayapal – a West Seattle resident when not in D.C. – says she’s pushing for it. Last week she mentioned the bridge on the House floor, and tweeted the clip:
Speaking on the House floor today, I urged support for a deeply necessary investment in our country's infrastructure. This includes critical revenue for repairing and rebuilding bridges like the West Seattle Bridge in our community. pic.twitter.com/CbyzDwFeyV
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) July 1, 2020
In her latest weekly newsletter, City Councilmember Lisa Herbold says she’s working with Rep.Jayapal on that.
SPEAKING OF $: Seen on the city website, another “request for statement of qualifications” – this time for a consultant to handle communications, although the description targets “qualified engineering firms,” not communications firms. Whoever’s hired is expected to get $5 million over three years.
You have one more day to enter the West Seattle Art Walk‘s West Seattle Bridge T-shirt design contest (first mentioned here two weeks ago). The goal as explained here, is “to generate three different shirt designs for sale this summer. The artists of the three chosen designs will each receive $500 for their work.” The guidelines:
We would like all artists to consider the following as they create their designs:
*Capture the essence of the situation
*Raise awareness about the importance of the bridge closure to our community
*Convey the love we have for West SeattleWe recognize that art is a very personal expression and you may have mixed emotions about the Bridge closure. While we do not want to inhibit creativity, we do aim to find a balance among sentiments conveyed in the designs that will appeal to our community, with a suggestion of:
*Humorous
*Proud
*EncouragingDesigns can be all illustration, all text, or a mix of both. One submission per artist.
Please note: While we welcome all submissions, artwork needs to be family-friendly to qualify for voting and selection.
More details here; the form for submitting your design is here. The community will get to vote on the qualifying designs to choose the winners! Then the T-shirts will be sold to raise money both for the merchants who sell them and for the nonprofit West Seattle Junction Association.
(SDOT photo: Hydra-Lift Under-Bridge Inspection Platform that’ll be used in stabilization work)
Regardless of whether the city decides to repair or replace the West Seattle Bridge, it has to be stabilized. SDOT just announced that contractor Kraemer North America will move this week from staging to stabilizing. The first phase of that work has to be done even before the stuck Pier 18 bearings can be tackled, SDOT says:
The first step of this stabilization work will be to construct and attach movable work platforms to the underside of the bridge so that crews can safely access the exterior of the bridge girders while they work on measures intended to slow cracking. In order to secure the hanging platforms, crews will use a precision hydro-demolition technique to excavate existing holes which held up platforms when the bridge was being built and were then filled with concrete decades ago. Crews will open up more than 100 of these holes, which will take a minimum of 2 weeks. Once the holes have been exposed, the work platforms can be hoisted up from a barge in the river below using roadway-mounted electric winches.
When the work platforms are secure, the team will be able to work from both the top and underside of the bridge, and move forward with the stabilization measures. The first stabilization measure will be to install carbon fiber wrapping around the bottom of the bridge in areas where strengthening is required and inside some of the girders most affected by cracking. The initial carbon fiber wrapping work will likely begin as soon as late July and take approximately 10 weeks to install.
Once the carbon fiber wrap is in place, we can begin installing steel tendons inside the bridge. When the steel strands are in place, we will begin to tighten them to achieve the required tension that will support the bridge and, along with the carbon fiber wrap, help slow cracking. Work to install and tighten the steel tendons will likely take one to two weeks to complete.
More details – and graphics – are in SDOT’s full update here.
P.S. Wondering how much all this will cost? City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s latest weekly newsletter includes this: “A memo received from the City Budget Office … notes ‘SDOT estimates 2020 costs for bridge repair to be $22.8 million. To help fund 2020 costs for emergency repair work, SDOT will take on additional debt supported by an interfund loan in 2020. More funding will be required in 2021 and 2022’.”
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
How will Metro bus and Water Taxi service rise to the challenge of increased West Seattle need as people return to work without high-bridge access?
Some insight emerged toward the end of last night’s West Seattle Transportation Coalition meeting. A Metro manager spoke with WSTC after updates from SDOT and the Port of Seattle. (We’ll get to those later in our summary.)
METRO/WATER TAX: Steve Crosley, a West Seattle resident now in charge of “managing the West Seattle Bridge response,” made his first WSTC appearance. He began with the reminder that before COVID-19, Metro carried 19,000 passengers off and on the peninsula daily – plus on-peninsula trips. The ridership crossing the Duwamish River dropped 90 percent during the stay-home months.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
When SDOT goes public in a week and a half with lists of potential ways to deal with bridge-detour traffic, HPAC will be ready.
This month’s meeting of the community council for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge was mostly an open discussion of what’s been problematic since the West Seattle Bridge closure turned up the volume on traffic along routes to the 1st Avenue South and South Park bridges.
(Reader photo from April, when low-bridge enforcement began)
As first reported here Wednesday afternoon, SDOT told the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force that it recommended opening low-bridge access to all 9 pm-5 am and to school buses any time. Nobody on the CTF objected, so, SDOT says today, those changes are now in effect. Also mentioned briefly during the meeting: Future camera enforcement on the low bridge. There was not much elaboration on that during the meeting, but SDOT has more information today:
…SDOT is exploring the use of automated enforcement of Low Bridge restrictions and if feasible, could serve as a key milestone for equitably increasing access.
During (the) Task Force discussion, it became clear that most policy proposals to increase Low Bridge access in a way that is equitable and does not detrimentally impact public safety depend on the ability to enforce them.
A permanent SPD presence is not a preferred, scalable, or affordable approach and, thus, SDOT has begun to explore the potential use of automated enforcement mechanisms. This could mean that cameras are added to an existing contract managed by SPD, similar to red light enforcement cameras and school zone cameras.
The use of automated enforcement for Low Bridge access policies would have to be approved by City Council. If it were, SDOT anticipates this technology could be in place later this summer or early fall.
We look forward to sharing more about this potential solution in the coming weeks. …
Currently, as SDOT’s post notes, the city only uses camera enforcement for school-zone speeding and red-light running. Some other uses are now allowed after the Legislature passed a bill sponsored by local State House Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon (who is part of the CTF along with other local elected officials.)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The fourth month since the West Seattle Bridge’s closure started with the third meeting of the advisory Community Task Force.
The headline this time around was from the last item on the agenda, changes in the restrictions for use of the low bridge, which since the high bridge’s closure has been limited to transit, freight, emergency vehicles, buses, bicycles, pedestrians, and certain maritime workers. The meeting ended with concurrence on a plan to allow more access, as well as a mention that automated enforcementi is on the way.
First – the slide deck for the entire meeting:
We’ll add meeting video when it’s uploaded. Here’s our video:
Now – our summary:
LOW BRIDGE CHANGES? SDOT’s Adiam Emery opened the discussion by explaining that they’ve been continuing to analyze traffic volumes since implementing restrictions. Even with citywide traffic reductions and low-bridge restrictions, the low bridge is close to its safe capacity at some times, she said. In particular, weekends are “nearing maximum capacity” for the bridge. The 5-way intersection west of the bridge is the “key limiting factor” more than the bridge itself. They have a little more room for vehicles, so here’s the proposal for loosening up access a bit:
At noon this Friday, your phone may go off with a test alert that’ll be related to the West Seattle Bridge Emergency Response Plan. Here’s the announcement:
On June 26 at 12 p.m., the City of Seattle Office of Emergency Management will send a test message through the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system. The alert will only be sent to those who have opted in to receive local test messages through WEA, and to a small geographic area under and near the West Seattle Bridge. The message will state: “This is a test of Wireless Emergency Alerts by the City of Seattle. No action is required.”
The national WEA system is an essential part of the City’s emergency preparedness and response. This public safety system allows customers who own compatible devices to receive geographically targeted, text-like messages alerting them of imminent threats to safety in their area. The most common example of these alerts is the “Amber Alerts” sent by Washington State Patrol that directly ping mobile phones.
Though not predicted, the City has emergency plans in place to use the WEA and AlertSeattle systems among other methods to notify people under or near the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge in the event of an immediate collapse. The City has successfully used the system several times in 2020, though it’s important to test the geographical capabilities of the system to ensure the correct area is targeted. Twenty volunteers from Seattle’s Office of Emergency Management Auxiliary Communication Services will stage in locations on and surrounding Harbor Island during the test to confirm receipt of the message. Results will be collected by Seattle OEM to determine the reach of the system.
Mobile phone users who are in the geographical area and would like to receive the test message must take steps to enable the option on their phone. The capability of a phone to receive local test messages depends on the brand and model, as well as phone carrier. Review the instruction manual for the phone for information on how to enable this feature. Basic information for Apple and Android Phones is below:
Apple iPhone:
· To turn it on: Enter *5005*25371# and tap the green phone icon. You’ll get an alert that says “Test alerts enabled.”
· To turn it off: Enter *5005*25370# and tap the green phone icon. You’ll get an alert that says “Test alerts disabled.”
Androids:
· Go to “Settings” > “Apps and Notifications” > “Advanced” > “Wireless Emergency Alerts” and then switch “State/local test” option to ON.
Members of the public are encouraged to proactively sign-up for AlertSeattle to receive emergency notifications from the City of Seattle: alert.seattle.gov.
The next two days bring four transportation meetings related to the West Seattle Bridge closure and more, so here’s a quick note about all four:
WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE COMMUNITY TASK FORCE: The CTF’s third meeting starts at noon today – our preview has the link for viewing live.
HPAC: The community council for Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge talks traffic mitigation at 7 tonight, with guests including local WSBCTF members. HPAC’s preview includes information on how to participate.
‘IMMERSED TUBE’ TUNNEL: At 10 am Thursday, retired civil engineer Bob Ortblad‘s next presentation is part of a Washington Business Alliance-presented panel discussion; our preview has the link for registering in advance so you can get the link to watch.
WEST SEATTLE TRANSPORTATION COALITION: 6:30 pm Thursday, as announced by the WSTC:
We have representatives from several local agencies lined up to join us. Here’s who is scheduled and what we plan to discuss:
Seattle Department Of Transportation – upcoming work on 1st Ave S Bridge, possible changes to low bridge restrictions, freight complaints on West Marginal Way SW, and emerging traffic patterns at the Fauntleroy ferry terminal
Port Of Seattle – impacts of high bridge closure to their operation
King County – What can West Seattle expect in terms of additional transit service and when can we expect it?
On the web:
Via phone: +12532158782,,86245810657#
Meeting ID 862 4581 0657
We just obtained the link for tomorrow’s third meeting of the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force. It’s at noon Wednesday, and you can see it here. A preview from SDOT:
This week’s meeting will include a brief update on the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge, an introduction to the Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) co-chairs and the questions they are currently exploring, discussion around the Reconnect West Seattle and Neighborhood Traffic Mitigation Proposals that were introduced during the last Community Task Force meeting, and a presentation and discussion around West Seattle Low Bridge access. However, the meeting agenda is subject to change.
Our coverage of the first two meeting is here (#1) and here (#2).
SIDE NOTE: Today marks exactly three months since the bridge’s sudden closure.
Those interested in retired civil engineer Bob Ortblad‘s proposal to replace the West Seattle Bridge with an underwater tube tunnel have a chance to see him talk about it this week – but it’s a different day, time, and format from what was previously announced. As noted by commenters, Ortblad’s presentation last week was disrupted. So his Wednesday night event this week is canceled and instead you can see him on a Washington Business Alliance panel Thursday morning:
Future Fit Transportation: West Seattle Duwamish Crossing
Thursday, June 25, 10:00 AMTransportation infrastructure projects that the state embarks on now will need to be cost efficient, more resilient, lower carbon, and take into account a more complex set of challenges including air and water quality.
Join news-making retired civil engineer Bob Ortblad and Former CEO of INCA Engineers Shiv Batra for a discussion on the concept of an Immersed Tube Tunnel as an innovative approach to replacing the West Seattle bridge.
Showcasing innovation and unique ideas is part of the entrepreneurial spirit which guides the Washington Business Alliance. Join us for this webinar and stay connected as we bring you more exciting ideas for the state’s transportation future.
Panelists
David Giuliani: Co-founder: Low Carbon Prosperity Institute and Washington Business Alliance
Bob Ortblad: Civil Engineer, Retired
Shiv Batra: Former CEO of INCA Engineers
Asked if they’d consider this idea, SDOT has said repeatedly that nothing’s been ruled out.
The neighborhoods served by HPAC – Highland Park, Riverview, and South Delridge – are among those for which the city promises a mitigation plan for bridge-detour traffic. HPAC will talk about it – and listen – this Wednesday night. The announcement:
Let’s Talk About Upcoming SDOT Mitigation Projects Process for Our Neighborhoods!
HPAC Community Listening Session – Join Us This Week!Join us this Wednesday, June 24, 7-8 pm .for a community listening session around the increasing West Seattle Bridge detour traffic through our neighborhoods and ideas we have for mitigation projects. We will also share what we know about the upcoming Project Prioritization Process.
We will have at least two members of the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force who represent our area in attendance to hear from the community.
The meeting is open to all but due to Zoom capacity we will prioritize attendees from Highland Park, South Delridge, Riverview, and Roxhill.
See the HPAC website for information on how to access the meeting.
(SDOT photo – taking samples off side of bridge)
During last week’s West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force meeting (WSB coverage here), SDOT revealed that analysis so far shows the bridge IS likely fixable – so the biggest question now is whether repairs are feasible, more than whether they’re possible. Just published on SDOT Blog this afternoon is a close-up look at what led to that preliminary determination. From the post:
…Over the past few months, we have been hard at work conducting more than 100 scientific tests to analyze the structural stability of the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge. The tests completed so far have not found indications of problems with the post-tensioning system, comprising the steel strands running through the structure like a skeleton. Problems with this system would mean repairs would be much less likely to succeed.
We are continuing to analyze how long repairs would take, how much they would cost, whether or not repairs would allow traffic to return to previous levels, and how long and in what capacity the bridge could remain open after potential repairs were completed so that we can tell whether or not fixing the bridge is a worthwhile investment. …
We are keeping all options open and are still moving forward with our search for a team to design a replacement for the bridge in case repairs are not a feasible option. Meanwhile, we have begun assembling our construction equipment to stabilize the bridge, which will be a necessary step in every possible scenario.
The full analysis of the structural stability of the bridge should be complete in early July…..
From there, the post takes a deep dive into “a look at how the steel post-tension system works and the types of scientific tests we performed to analyze the structural stability of it.” It imcludes more on the cracks themselves. Again, the full post is here.
P.S. The next Community Task Force meeting is Wednesday at noon; we’re awaiting the link for public viewing and will publish it when we get it.
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