West Seattle, Washington
29 Friday
Continuing our coverage of today’s big news – the West Seattle Bridge repair decision – we have reaction from the community coalition that formed in response to the bridge’s sudden shutdown eight months ago: West Seattle Bridge NOW. The group has been advocating for choosing the repair pathway, and now it’s happened. Here’s their reaction, sent by WSBN’s Kevin Broveleit:
The West Seattle Bridge NOW team is very happy with today’s announcement by Mayor Durkan to repair the West Seattle Bridge.
This is a decision that we celebrate with everyone affected by the Bridge’s closure. As a community, we rallied together to raise our voices up to be a part of this process and to not just sit by while others decided our fate. To the thousands of people who added to our call to repair the bridge, we say THANK YOU!
We also want to thank Mayor Jenny Durkan and City Councilmember Lisa Herbold for their leadership in getting us moving again. They listened to the experts and to the community. Now we should have our bridge back sooner, rather than much later.
The process of getting the Bridge reopened can now truly begin. We intend to watch this process carefully and will continue to advocate for our communities’ best interests as the repairs are completed.
The past few months have shown what’s possible when we come together to support one another. Congratulations, West Seattle, you did it!
WSBN sent the mayor a letter and online petition in August, two months after an SDOT manager first said the bridge seemed fixable.
Continuing our coverage of today’s announcement that the West Seattle Bridge will be repaired (WSB coverage here), the advisory Community Task Force is meeting with Mayor Durkan to hear/talk more about her decision. She had promised the CTF would get word first, and they indeed had a quick briefing just before this morning’s public announcement. Video is above; we’ll add notes as this goes.
3:45 PM: “We needed to have a reasonable level of certainty,” the mayor said, in recapping her decision (see our earlier story for more on the reasons). After her statement, it’s on to SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe, who reiterates that the stabilization work done so far – which had to be done regardless of which path was chosen – is “performing well.” Though the repairs will not be “complex,” as discussed at this morning’s event, they are still “challenging,” he said, and need to be designed and planned carefully – “we can’t skip steps.” But “we’ll do everything we can to accelerate (the estimated) timelines,” which as reported earlier suggest the repair work will be completed in “mid-2022.”
He also says the $50 million listed in the briefings as funding “traffic mitigation” will cover the cost of “transit investments” too.
3:55 PM: Now, task-force members get a chance at Q&A. Marci Carpenter asks about the conflict between “repaired bridge could last 40 years” and “maybe build a multimodal bridge incorporating Sound Transit,” which would be launched sooner. She also asked about federal-funding likelihood, absent a “falling-down” bridge. The mayor said she still plans to seek federal funding to.help with repairs but unlike rapid-span replacement, that won’t delay the work.She says she has confidence in “our federal delegation’s ability to get funding.” (West Seattle-residing US Rep. Pramila Jayapal sent a news release, in fact, reiterating two possibilities.)
Deb Barker asked where the maintenance/operations money will come from, and what kind of permits are needed for repairs. For the former, Durkan said they need to look “holistically” – not just at the $20 vehicle-license fee that councilmembers proposed. For the latter, Zimbabwe said they’re not sure yet but it’s “not expected to hold us up in the process we’re going through.” Diane Sosne worried about unanticipated delays and using “good money now” to do something that might not last. The mayor stressed that restoring mobility is vital to protect jobs including those that will be at Terminal 5 when its modernized berth starts operating next year. Regarding timeline unknowns, Zimbabwe said that during the stabilization they’ve hit the milestones in the predicted timelines, so they’re reasonably confident that will hold.
4:15 PM: West Seattle Bridge NOW‘s Jen Temple thanks the mayor for the decision and for not waiting any longer. Then the mayor offered a few closing remarks, reiterating that neither the repair nor “rapid span replacement” options would have allowed for incorporating light rail, but in the need for an eventual new bridge, “let’s see if we can imagine a better bridge,” maybe light rail AND transit.
What’s next for the Task Force? The mayor said ongoing involvement would be great, ‘some level of interest and accountability,” if the members are willing.
The group will take up that topic at its next meeting December 2nd. This meeting wrapped at 4:28 pm. One more meeting tonight will include a discussion of the decision – the West Seattle Transportation Coalition, 6:30 pm, attendance info here.
(Above: Video of hourlong announcement event)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The suspense is over.
Mayor Jenny Durkan announced this morning that the city will repair the West Seattle Bridge, eight months after she announced its shockingly sudden closure.
The alternative – replacing its damaged midsection with a shiny new steel span – was appealing, she and SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe acknowledged in a pre-announcement media briefing, but covering its cost and achieving a “rapid replacement” timeline seemed out of reach. So, to get West Seattle moving again as soon as possible, she decided that repairing the bridge is the way to go.
Before we get to details, quick answers to 6 big questions:
WHEN WILL IT REOPEN?
Some traffic might return to the bridge in “the first part of 2022” but the projected completion is “mid-2022.”
WILL ALL LANES REOPEN?
That’s what SDOT expects, though an early-2022 reopening might have to be “phased in.”
WHEN WILL REPAIR WORK START?
Next fall.
WHO WILL DO THE WORK?
Consultant WSP is designing the repairs, and then a contractor will be sought to build/install them.
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
The Cost-Benefit Analysis made a rough estimate of almost $50 million but that won’t be refined until the repairs are designed.
HOW LONG WILL REPAIRS LAST?
Projected – 15 to 40 years.
So here’s the rest of the story:
12:59 PM WEDNESDAY: Mayor Jenny Durkan‘s long-awaited West Seattle Bridge decision will be made public tomorrow (Thursday). That’s what mayoral spokesperson Chelsea Kellogg just told WSB. We contacted the mayor’s office late yesterday after hearing that the mayor said in a KING 5 interview that she would likely announce her decision this week, though in Monday’s “Town Hall” (WSB coverage here) she said only “in the coming weeks”; we just got the reply. Mayor Durkan was already scheduled to meet with the Community Task Force at 3:30 tomorrow afternoon. Next Monday will mark eight months since the bridge was abruptly closed because of fast-growing cracks; SDOT’s contractor is almost done with stabilization work that the city says had to be done first regardless of whether the next course of action is repair now/replace later or replace now.
7:45 AM THURSDAY: The decision will be announced at 9 am. You should be able to watch here.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
When will the mayor decide on repairing or replacing the eight-months-closed West Seattle Bridge?
Tonight’s “Town Hall” about the bridge didn’t answer that, nor did it include any other significant new information. It provided a recap of what’s been done in recent months, repeated insistence that the decision delay isn’t harming progress, and 45 minutes of Q&A on well-trod ground. If you missed it, here’s the video:
The online event was moderated by Department of Neighborhoods director Andrés Mantilla, a West Seattle resident. Here’s how it unfolded:
(SDOT photo – mayor inside West Seattle Bridge work zone last Monday)
Reminder – as announced back on Thursday, Mayor Jenny Durkan is hosting another “Town Hall” about the West Seattle Bridge tomorrow night, before making her repair-vs.-replace decision (most-recent timeline for that: “soon”). The mayor’s office summarizes the event this way: “The West Seattle Bridge Town Hall will give residents a chance to hear from the Mayor and key department staff about recently completed work to stabilize the bridge and reduce the traffic impacts of the closure as well as give an opportunity to provide feedback and ask questions.” It’s planned for 5-6:30 pm Monday (November 16th), online – you can RSVP here and send an advance question; the link for attending is here.
Photographed atop the West Seattle Bridge this past Monday, that’s – clockwise from center – Mayor Jenny Durkan, West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force co-chair Greg Nickels, SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe, WSBCTF co-chair Paulina López, and SDOT’s Kit Loo. The mayor was there for a firsthand look at the stabilization work, including inside the bridge:
And as she gets ready to decide repair vs. replace, she also has announced another community Town Hall meeting to hear feedback, 5-6:30 pm next Monday (November 16th). From the announcement:
Before reaching a critical decision point about repair or replacement of the West Seattle Bridge, I will be hosting a West Seattle Bridge Town Hall to hear directly from community members – both those who are dealing with the loss of the connection to the West Seattle peninsula and those in the Duwamish Valley acutely feeling the traffic impacts.
This West Seattle Bridge Town Hall will give you a chance to hear from me and key department staff about recently completed work to stabilize the bridge and reduce the traffic impacts of the closure, updated information for both repair or replacement pathways, and ongoing opportunities for communities to provide feedback. And we will save some time for you to ask questions directly.
You can RSVP and send a question via this form; the direct meeting link is here. This is the mayor’s third West Seattle “town hall” in six months (the others were in May and in July), though the previous two addressed other topics as well as the bridge.
Three days after Monday’s town hall, Mayor Durkan will be back before the Community Task Force – a conflict in her schedule has led to a day/time change for that meeting: It’s now set for 3:30 pm next Thursday (November 19th), one day later than originally planned. CTF members were told the mayor plans to “present updates” to them. No viewing link for that meeting yet.
At Monday’s City Council briefing on the West Seattle Bridge (WSB coverage here), SDOT mentioned more details of the stabilization work – one-ton brackets, 300-foot-long steel ropes. Today, the department released a video tour of the work inside the bridge, with a firsthand look at those components and more – see it above (or here).
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Some new information today as the City Council got its first comprehensive West Seattle Bridge briefing since August.
The council’s independent consultant suggests a closer exploration of the repair option, it was revealed when City Councilmember Lisa Herbold asked council staffer Calvin Chow to talk about a memo the consultant sent councilmembers Friday. Here’s the memo (also embedded below):
More on that shortly.
Also, Transportation Committee chair Councilmember Alex Pedersen said Mayor Jenny Durkan has invited councilmembers to send her their individual repair-vs.-replace thoughts by week’s end.
And when Budget chair Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda pressed SDOT reps on the timeline for that key decision, director Sam Zimbabwe said that since they’re continuing to plan for both options, a final decision could theoretically wait as long as spring before they started losing time – though the need to seek federal/state funding would require action sooner.
Reminder – if you’re interested in hearing the latest on the West Seattle Bridge firsthand, you’ll want to watch as the City Council gets briefed tomorrow (Monday) morning (as announced last Monday). Though the bridge has been discussed by the council in various meetings, mostly related to funding, this is the council’s first full bridge briefing since a Transportation Committee meeting in August. It’s scheduled for 9:30 am; the agenda includes the planned slide deck and the recently released Cost-Benefit Analysis. You’ll be able to watch live via the Seattle Channel, online or cable.
The election of Joe Biden as America’s next president means “we have a federal partner,” said a relieved Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan at a noontime media briefing today. We attended since we’re continuing to cover the biggest project looming in need of federal dollars as well as other third-party money – the West Seattle Bridge. Durkan said she was “ecstatic” to hear this morning that Biden had won. A continued Trump Administration would mean, among other things, a threat to federal funding for local projects – particularly because of the review ordered by the so-called “anarchist jurisdiction” declaration.
We asked the mayor how soon she would start pushing the new administration to help fund the bridge project; she said “as soon as possible” and said she would continue working with the local/state congressional delegation as well. As we reported in July, there’s already a bit of federal money involved; plus, federal funding covered 40 percent of the cost of the original bridge project. As part of the justification for major federal funding, she said, a “chart” is being developed to show the nationwide impact of commerce facilitated by the port and the mobility enabled by the bridge. We also asked if she has a new date yet for announcing the repair-or-replace decision; “soon” was her only reply. (A member of the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force says the mayor has promised they’ll be the first to know; their next scheduled meeting is November 18th.)
12:01 PM: SDOT says its stabilization contractor Kraemer North America has reached another milestone. SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson tells WSB, “We have completed the Pier 18 release work as planned.” SDOT detailed the Pier 18 bearing problem in April: “We discovered that one particular joint has become stuck, which appears to be magnifying the daily stresses on the bridge. Specifically, the issue is with the lateral bearings at the top of the Pier 18 support columns. This isn’t the sole cause of cracking on the bridge, but our bridge experts think it is a major part of the problem.” The bearings are pieces of rubber that “manage movement” as the bridge handles traffic and other stresses. The release is just part of the stabilization work – other parts involve strengthening the damaged section of the bridge – but it’s definitely a milestone. SDOT promises more details later today on what the Pier 18 release means and what’s next. We’ll add that information when it’s in.
2:12 PM: SDOT’s full announcement is now out, including:
… SDOT bridge engineers worked with the contractor to determine the best way to “release” the bearings so they are no longer compressed.
This involved building a temporary platform to perform the work. Then, specialized equipment was used to precision-demolish the concrete surrounding the bearings. Over the next couple of weeks, we will place the new bearings, and then pour the new concrete to hold them in place, setting the stage for future repair or replacement of the bridge.
The bearing release is part of a series of vital steps we’ve taken to stabilize the bridge since it closed in March. Within weeks of closing the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge, SDOT has had crews on top, underneath, and inside the bridge working six days a week to stabilize the center span, make it stronger and keep options open.
As the important discussion about repairing or replacing the bridge continues, crews are continuing to focus on measures that need to occur regardless of whether the bridge will be repaired now or if we will pivot immediately to replacement. This includes carbon fiber wrapping and installation of a post-tensioning system, both of which will wrap up later this month.
As colder temperatures and increased moisture can cause bridge elements to expand and contract, SDOT will continue to monitor the bridge with the intelligent monitoring system installed in May.
As noted here Monday, the Northwest Seaport Alliance‘s managing members – Seattle and Tacoma port commissioners – had the West Seattle Bridge on their meeting agenda today. It’s a vital issue for them because the Terminal 5 expansion increases their stake in mobility to and from West Seattle. After a briefing and discussion, they decided to send Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan a letter – but they’re not taking a stand on repair vs. replace, yet. Instead, they hope the letter, which will emphasize their priorities and interests, will help the mayor in her decisionmaking. Co-chairs Peter Steinbrueck (Seattle) and John McCarthy (Tacoma) have a meeting coming up with her, too. Steinbrueck stressed that the bridge is important “to the entire region and state.”
Lindsay Wolpa, a Port of Seattle manager who’s on the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force (as is Steinbrueck), delivered the briefing, recapping toplines from the recently released Cost-Benefit Analysis, as well as offshoots of the bridge closure such as the West Marginal Way plan. Wolpa noted that the port is against the proposed northbound freight lane, and concerned about the possible two-way protected bike lane on the southbound side. She said the freight lane seems “unlikely to happen”; the port believes it would add more traffic to the corridor and further jam up the 5-way intersection close to the T-5 entrance, creating “havoc” as Steinbrueck described it. The port does support the signal and crosswalk on West Marginal for the Duwamish Longhouse, however, it was reiterated. As Wolpa quickly reviewed the alternatives the city’s consultant WSP studied in the Cost-Benefit Analysis, she noted that the “infamous immersed-tube tunnel” is “very concerning” to the port and NWSA, because it would “have a lot of impact” on maritime operations.
In addition to what was outlined in the CBA, she also spoke about the “rapid span replacement” that suddenly appeared as an option when the CBA was almost done. Commissioners voiced skepticism that its potential “rapid” timeline could really be met. Seattle commissioner Ryan Calkins said that if not for the last-minute appearance of the “rapid span replacement,” he suspected there would be “considerable momentum toward repair.” Another commissioner asked Wolpa what neighborhood groups are supporting; she said so far, most were voicing support for the “repair” option, to get traffic access restored as soon as possible. Calkins said an independent third-party review would be helpful; Wolpa said the Technical Advisory Panel is filling that role, and that it has given “repair” the highest rating, so far. Another concern, one that the city has voiced as well: Would money for a replacement decades down the road be harder to get than money for one now?
In the end, the commissioners decided to send a letter expressing their concerns and priorities rather than one with a repair/replace position; Steinbrueck emphasized, as he had at the last CTF meeting, that they need more information before they could take a definite stand. Meantime, no new date yet for the mayor’s decision, though Wolpa said she’d heard some talk it could happen on November 18th, when the Community Task Force meets again.
The latest on the bridge, as we await word on when the mayor will decide on repair vs. replace:
BIG WEEK FOR STABILIZATION: When is stress a good thing? When it’s part of stabilizing the bridge. As we noted last week, contractor Kraemer NA is expected to reach the next stabilization milestone this week – releasing the stuck bearing on (corrected) Pier 18. Above is a photo from this week’s stabilization update, showing what SDOT describes as, “Post-tensioning strands ready to be ‘stressed’ to help stabilize the bridge.” The “stressing” started last week and will continue this week along with the bearing release. The stabilization work is expected to be complete by year’s end. (For an explanation of everything that’s been happening, go here.)
PORT COMMISSIONERS TALK TOMORROW: The Northwest Seaport Alliance‘s managing members – the combined commissions of the ports of Seattle and Tacoma – will talk on Tuesday about the West Seattle Bridge situation and a potential “policy statement.” The discussion is scheduled for the public portion of the online meeting, after 11:30 am; here’s the agenda.
COUNCIL BRIEFING: During this morning’s “briefing” meeting of the City Council, when each member updates the others on what’s big in their district (among other things), West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold noted that a briefing on the West Seattle Bridge status is planned for next Monday morning’s meeting. She said that participants are expected to include the consultant the council hired last summer to offer independent expertise on the bridge situation.
STATE FUNDING? Earlier in the meeting, during a briefing on the city’s priorities for the upcoming State Legislature session, it was noted that the city is lobbying hard to have West Seattle Bridge funding included in the session’s transportation package.
(Archived stream of Community Task Force meeting starts 5 minutes in)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
No date yet for Mayor Jenny Durkan‘s decision on the seven-months-closed West Seattle Bridge‘s future, but she has much to consider after spending about an hour listening to Community Task Force members’ opinions.
There was no clear consensus – some are supporting repair (the fastest option), some are supporting replacement, but even those in the latter camp acknowledged that it’s conditional on whether the newly revealed “rapid span replacement” possibility really could be delivered in the relatively lightning-fast time frame that consulting firm WSP suggested.
Wednesday afternoon’s discussion started with a technical Q&A that included more clarification about the feasibility of repairs. Here’s how it all went, and what’s next:
That’s a framegrab from the new SDOT traffic camera at Highland Park Way and Holden, which was increasingly busy before the West Seattle Bridge closure, and has since become even busier as the epicenter of detour-route traffic, Future improvements are part of what HPAC will talk about with SDOT tomorrow night (Wednesday, October 28th), 7 pm online. Here’s your invitatian:
Join us Wednesday, as SDOT planners check in with Highland Park, Riverview & South Delridge residents, to report back to the larger community on what was heard on the Home Zone walks of October 20-21, and collect additional feedback from community to develop a proposed Home Zone plan.
A Home Zone plan involves the entire neighborhood working together to prioritize improvements that calm traffic and improve pedestrian mobility and neighborhood livability during the impacts of the WSBridge detour routes. We will also hear a brief update on the progress of Highland/Holden intersection planning work. Meet your neighbors and help build a safer, more user-friendly community. Log in virtually here:
Meeting ID: 894 0739 2875
Call into the meeting: 253 215 8782
Two key notes about the week ahead for the West Seattle Bridge, now in its 8th month of closure:
PIER 18 BEARING RELEASE: SDOT says the stabilization crew plans to release this stuck bearing – originally explained here – this week. Above is an SDOT photo of the temporary brace for that pier. It’s noted in this week’s stabilization update, published today. Once the stuck bearing is released, contractor Kraemer NA moves on to building a new one. More carbon-fiber wrapping is ahead, too.
COMMUNITY TASK FORCE MEETING WEDNESDAY: Now that they’ve had a week to review the Cost-Benefit Analysis, this volunteer advisory group is expected to share its thoughts with the mayor as she prepares to decide on repair now/replace later vs. replace now. The meeting is at noon Wednesday (October 28th), and the viewing link is here. (If there’s any last-minute change, as there was last week, you can check the streaming service’s YouTube channel.)
(SDOT video of Wednesday’s full Community Task Force meeting)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
A day and a half after receiving the information-dense Cost-Benefit Analysis reviewing West Seattle Bridge options, Community Task Force members got their first chance to ask questions about it.
The 89-page report was almost done before the ballyhooed new “rapid span replacement” possibility went public, so the discussion took place somewhat in its shadow, and immediately after the first half of Wednesday’s CTF meeting was spent on a presentation on that unvetted option (WSB coverage here) – something that hasn’t been done for any of the other possibilities, so far.
SDOT‘s bridge-project leader Heather Marx opened with a warning: “None of the numbers you see here should be referred to as ‘estimates’ SDOT would have preferred ranges but this type of study requires choosing a number, she said. She also stressed what the CBA is not:
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Repaired bridge in 2022 or mostly new bridge in 2023?
That’s what the repair-or-replace decision could boil down to, now that a “rapid span replacement” has been vaulted into the mix.
The first hour of today’s Community Task Force meeting was devoted to an exploration of that concept. We’ll report separately tonight on the second part of the meeting, a discussion of the newly released Cost-Benefit Analysis, which does not include the “rapid span replacement,” though SDOT‘s project team points out that would fall in the CBA’s Alternative 4 “superstructure replacement” option.
If you missed the meeting (the viewing link was changed at the last minute), here’s the hour-long presentation and discussion of the new concept, which was described more than once during the meeting as “intriguing”:
Shown during the presentation was this animation of how the span replacement would be installed:
The presentation was given by Ted Zoli of HNTB, the firm the city hired this summer to design a replacement regardless of whether the decision is to repair or replace.
SDOT is about to take the next step toward camera enforcement of West Seattle low-bridge restrictions – installing signs this weekend, warning that the cameras are on the way. Today’s announcement notes that warning tickets will start “as soon as” December 1st, with ticketing – carrying $75 fines – then starting around January 1st. Also from the announcement:
To date, in an effort to ensure traffic volumes do not impact emergency vehicle response times as we develop our automated enforcement system and policies, Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers have been ticketing or turning around people using the Low Bridge during AM and PM peak commute hours. Enforcement by SPD alone is temporary until we implement automated enforcement, but SPD Traffic or Patrol officers, as well as other localized police agencies may continue to identify, stop and enforce the sign restrictions as part of their normal duties.
And in case you’ve forgotten, here’s the current rules:
Who CAN use the Low Bridge
Emergency vehicles
Transit vehicles (King County Metro buses and school buses)
Freight vehicles
People walking, rolling, using a scooter, or biking
Employer shuttles
Vanpools
People with placards (currently 160 distributed)
People driving personal vehicles at night (from 9 PM to 5 AM daily)Who CANNOT use the Low Bridge
Ubers, Lyfts, or other ride-sharing vehicles
People driving personal vehicles, including motorcycles, during the day (from 5 AM to 9 PM daily)
The policies are always subject to change – the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force now has a low-bridge subcommittee to discuss possible changes.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Just released by SDOT, here’s the Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) meant to help inform the city’s decision of what to do about the seven-months-closed West Seattle Bridge:
(It’s also on the city website. Added 10/26: Here’s a link to the 628 pages of appendices.)
Though it looks at six options for repairing or replacing the bridge, the renderings and costs are NOT by any means the final set of options – they’re what was roughed out for comparison purposes. It should also be noted that the CBA does NOT address the newly emerged option that some have nicknamed “rapid replacement” – though that will be explained at tomorrow’s West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force meeting, along with the CBA. But if you just want to skip ahead to the bottom line, those estimates are on page 68 of the 89-page document, with basic up-front construction cost rough estimates from $47 million for repairs to $1.9 billion for an immersed-tube tunnel.
(Early-morning photo by Tony Welch)
West Seattle Bridge notes, three days shy of 7 months since the bridge was closed:
AWAITING THE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS: This much-awaited document, prepared to play a key role in the repair-or-replace dedision, was supposed to be made public Monday; SDOT sent it to Community Task Force members late last night and is expected to release it more widely later today. We’ll publish a separate report once it’s out.
TASK FORCE MEETING TOMORROW: As previously reported here, the original plan for Mayor Jenny Durkan to announce her repair-or-replace decision to the CTF tomorrow is now off (no new date yet) – the task force will instead be discussing the CBA when they meet online at noon Wednesday (October 21st). They’re also going to hear more details on the “rapid replacement” proposal that suddenly emerged earlier this month. Here’s the draft agenda; here’s the link (UPDATED) for the YouTube stream of the meeting. If you have questions, the email address remains WestSeattleBridge@seattle.gov.
STABILIZATION WORK: SDOT’s weekly update says the release of the stuck bearing on Pier 18 could happen by the end of this week.
PORT COMMISSION CHAIR’S COMMENTS: During a media briefing this morning on monthly cargo volumes, Seattle Port Commission chair Peter Steinbrueck – who’s also one of the elected officials on the CTF – spoke briefly about the impending repair-or-replace decision. He said he feels there’s not enough information yet for the port to support one option or the other, so both pathways should continue to be studied. The port’s biggest stake in the game is low-bridge accessibility, with the low bridge under extra strain because of the high-bridge closure.
Last Monday night, we reported on City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s unofficial survey asking whether you support repairing the West Seattle Bridge or replacing it. She announced results in her newest weekly update:
On October 12 at approximately 7 p.m., I conducted an online survey asking whether people support a repair or a replacement of the West Seattle Bridge.
It’s not a scientific survey, and geographic responses aren’t representative of District 1 overall. That said, it is useful for receiving feedback from constituents at this point in time. Thank you to all who engaged.
As of 7 p.m. on October 14, approximately 7,000 people had participated and of them, 59.8% favored repair, 36% supported replacement, and 4.2% supported other.
39% of replies were from 98116, the zip code furthest north in West Seattle. Other zip codes, such as 98106 and 98126, stretch from north to south, 98126 is in the central portion, 98106 in the eastern portion. 98136 is the SW portion of West Seattle, and 98108 includes South Park. 98146 includes the very southwest portions of the city.
Zip Repair Replace % of Total Replies
98116 66.8% 29.6% 39% of total
98126 64.7% 31.39% 24% of total
98136 58.6% 37.1% 16% of total
98106 41.7% 54.6% 16% of total
98146 37.3% 60% 4% of total
98108 34% 66% 1% of total
Her weekly update also recapped the major headlines from last week’s extra meeting of the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force, which we covered Wednesday afternoon – that the Cost-Benefit Analysis won’t be out until next week, so the timeline for the mayor’s decision is pushed back, and that a new “rapid replacement” option had surfaced. Both the CBA and the new option will be discussed at the next CTF meeting, noon Wednesday (October 21st) online.
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