WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE CLOSURE: Some answers, and some pictures. Plus, help for 1 overloaded intersection

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

New information from SDOT tonight about the cracks that closed the high-level West Seattle Bridge – and what’s being done, about them and about mobility while the bridge is closed.

It’s been two days since the sudden, shocking news of the shutdown. We have been requesting an interview with any available SDOT official; mobility director Heather Marx, a West Seattleite, was made available by phone a short time ago. They also have provided some imagery – above, where the cracks are – on both sides of the crest – and a look at them.

WHY SO SUDDEN: They’ve been watching cracks since 2013, but Marx says, every bridge they monitor has cracks, and they’re nothing to “panic” over. They were checked every year. Then in 2019, they noticed some growth, so they checked three times. In December, a lttle more growth, so they checked again this month. They checked the cracks on March 4th, March 6th, March 23rd, and that last check – this past Monday – showed such “exponential” growth that, Marx said, they realized “we really don’t have a choice – we have to shut it down, and we have to shut it down NOW.”

(Photo provided by SDOT)

The previous inspections had led to some caulking, Marx added – you might occasionally have noticed the bucket truck that hangs over the side of the bridge, with workers in it, doing that work. But this time, it was such “shockingly rapid deterioration” that closing the bridge was the only choice.

Why weren’t elected officials already in the loop? Marx said that just last week, SDOT was working on a briefing in which they would tell city leaders that the cracking problem would require traffic reduction on the bridge – and then the “acceleration” required the closure.

WHAT WILL BE DONE TO FIX IT? Right now they are working with consultants WSP to determine what kind of “immediate shoring” can be done “to be sure it doesn’t fall on the low bridge.” Whether that will mean they can reopen the bridge to some traffic, too soon to say. Then they will work on a design-build contract for whatever needs to be done long-term to save the bridge. Not fixing it is NOT an option, she reiterated, for those who are worried. It’s the busiest roadway in the city – 100,000 vehicles a day, 14,000 transit riders. “There’s no way we’re not going to fix it.” But it will be out of commission for weeks at the very least. Marx reiterated that 80 percent of the load on the bridge – a unique structure, in many ways – is its own weight. No idea yet how much the repairs will cost, short term and long term.

WHAT’S BEING DONE TO HELP PEOPLE GET AROUND IN THE MEANTIME? A temporary signal will be installed at Highland Park Way and Holden. This is not something that can be done overnight but Marx says it’ll be done soon enough to make a difference. Marx says they will still get to the rest of the Highland Park Way Safety Project but this is suddenly an emergency since so many more people will be using that intersection. Other plans such as Metro and Water Taxi changes are still under discussion.

WHAT ABOUT THE LOW BRIDGE? While police are being stationed at both ends during peak periods, Marx says the bridge will not have checkpoints – they want people to voluntarily reserve it for freight, emergency vehicles, and transit. For those who have asked, freight does NOT include package deliveries – they would like that traffic to use other routes.

More questions remain for more interviews, especially more technical insight into the cracking problem itself; SDOT is also planning an online update tonight, which we’ll link and excerpt when available. Again – no timeline for how long the closure will last, but it’ll be at least a matter of weeks, not days.

ADDED 8:06 PM: In a new online update, Councilmember Lisa Herbold mentions the SDOT briefing at City Council – mentioned during the original announcement/media briefing on Monday – is expected next Monday at 9:30 am. You should be able to watch via Seattle Channel.

ADDED MIDNIGHT: SDOT’s promised post hasn’t shown up yet, but we did find that the “West Seattle Bridge Safety Project” now has its own page on the SDOT website.

3:27 PM THURSDAY: SDOT’s promised post is up, with a bit more information on the pre-closure timeline.

WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE CLOSURE: Low-bridge restrictions to start tomorrow

March 24, 2020 8:31 pm

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| Safety | Transportation | West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news

That’s the traffic on West Marginal Way SW, below the now-closed high-rise West Seattle Bridge, as seen this evening from the walking/biking lane on the low bridge. While we took that photo, regular passenger-car traffic continued using the low bridge, as it did when we checked this morning, despite SDOT saying it would be off-limits to that traffic during the closure of the high bridge. SDOT spokesperson Ethan Bergerson told us tonight that the restrictions “should be in place tomorrow (signs were not posted last night due to the phasing of our work).” According to an SDOT Blog post tonight, people who work on Harbor Island have been added to the list of who can use the low bridge once the rules kick in:

(Map provided by SDOT)

SDOT also published a detour map and reiterated the main options:

All vehicles are prohibited from crossing the high-rise span of the bridge between I-5 and Fauntleroy Way SW. Motorists should use the First Ave or South Park bridges. See map above for alternative route suggestions for getting to the First Ave bridge. We’ve alerted navigation services likes Google Maps and Waze about the bridge closure and they should reroute you over the First Ave or South Park bridges.

As for the many questions raised by the out-of-the-blue announcement that the high bridge would be closed for assessment and repairs because cracks made “live-load traffic” too dangerous – no new answers today. We hope to be able to ask those questions in an interview as soon as tomorrow. We have also requested photos of the problem.

Also asking questions, District 1 Councilmember Lisa Herbold, who says she didn’t hear about the closure plan until a call from the mayor a few hours before the announcement. Here’s an excerpt from her reply to concerned constituents, as shared with us:

I have asked the SDOT Director why vehicle traffic is being limited on the lower bridge, and how soon it can be opened for traffic, given lower traffic volumes in Seattle due to COVID19 guidance and specifically to reduced traffic volumes to West Seattle via the West Seattle Bridge, in light of the Governor’s latest COVID19 Shelter in Place order. My office has requested that SDOT appeal to the Coast Guard to make fewer bridge openings of the lower level bridge to allow for more buses and cars to cross, like they did in early 2019 when the Alaskan Way Viaduct closed and the SR99 tunnel was not yet open.

My office submitted a preliminary list of questions to SDOT. The Council has requested a public briefing to the Council as soon as possible. My questions are below:

Please explain the decision to not allow cars on the lower bridge (compared to when e.g. the AWV closed and before the SR99 tunnel).

Please describe what analysis SDOT will be conducting to decide when to re-open the Spokane Street (lower) Bridge, and what criteria you will be using.

Has SDOT received word from the Coast Guard about flexibility re: times the bridge can remain open w/o or with limited closures?

Please provide a timeline of SDOT’s inspections of the West Seattle Bridge that lead to this decision.

Please explain SDOT’s procedures for providing information to the Council regarding ongoing inspections for potential significant problems that could lead to closure of major roadways or structures.
Southern access points to the peninsula will see significantly increased traffic. What steps will SDOT take for safety at the intersection of Highland Park Way SW and SW Holden, that already have safety problems?

Below are additional questions that get into the weeds of the budget and SDOT notification to Council of the impacts of changes from the Federal government related to load ratings that have led to higher scrutiny, and now closure, of this bridge:

When SDOT completed its November, 2018 Move Levy Workplan (or levy “reset”), the work plan included 16 bridges for seismic work (section 12 of the report), including several in District 1: Delridge Way SW Bike/Ped Bridge, the north and south Admiral Way bridges, and the Andover Way SW ped bridge (and ironically the 1st Avenue South Bridge that SDOT is directing West Seattle commuters to). It did not include the West Seattle Bridge.

The 2020 SDOT Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget referenced work on the 16 projects in its listing for Bridge Seismic work. The SDOT CIP noted it was analyzing bridge loads of 69 separate bridges due to 2013 and 2016 federal requirements from the Federal Highway Administration. Today’s press release referred to new 2019 requirements.

The 2020-2025 CIP (page 188) references federal changes in 2013 and 2016 to load requirements; today’s press release says “In 2019, however, the Federal load rating for this type of bridge changed”. When did this change take place?

The November 2018 Move Levy Workplan (i.e. levy “re-set”) noted 16 bridges scheduled for seismic improvements from 2019 to 2024; the 2020-2025 SDOT CIP “Bridge Seismic – Phase III” item noted the 16 bridges. Why was the West Seattle Bridge not included in the 16 bridges?

How many other, of the 69 bridges subject to new FHA load requirements, have been triggered for enhanced inspections by bridge integrity specialists to ensure the safety of our city’s bridges

Please provide the most recent list of SDOT’s assessment of Seattle’s bridges (including ratings).

Lots of questions – so far no answers. We’ll continue pursuing.

VIDEO: High-rise West Seattle Bridge closing TFN because of ‘deterioration’

March 23, 2020 2:59 pm

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| Transportation | West Seattle Bridge Safety Project | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Crew already on low bridge – photo via @lungodog on Twitter)

UPDATED 4:59 PM: The city has announced an emergency closure of the high-rise West Seattle Bridge “until further notice,” starting at 7 pm tonight. Here’s our video of the Skype briefing during which this was announced:

Here’s the SDOT news release. Below, our as-it-happened coverage of the announcement, and further updates:

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2:55 PM: Just announced via a sudden online media briefing: The West Seattle Bridge has been developing cracks over time, says the mayor, with “further deterioration” detected recently – so “there are concerns that the high-rise bridge cannot safely support vehicular traffic at this time” so they need to assess it further. So tonight “the West Seattle high-rise bridge will be closed to all traffic … until we can do further assessment” to determine how the bridge can be safely operated. The low bridge will remain open to transit and first responders, and freight. “I’m grateful they found this” before something bad happened.

SDOT director Sam Zimbabwe says the bridge will close at about 7 pm “until further notice.” The cracking is in the concrete, he says. They’ve been noticing cracking for several years but it’s now to the point where they feel they have to remove “live-load traffic.” He reiterates that traffic outside of the categories mentioned will not be able to use the low bridge – they’ll have to use other paths out such as the 1st Ave. S. Bridge.

Council President Lorena González says a public briefing on this will be scheduled.

We’ve asked several questions via the web chat feature and they’re now answering. Why so sudden? Zimbabwe says some new federal load-rating requirements last year led to a “more detailed assessment” while deterioration continued. “There really wasn’t another choice at this point.”He says it’ll be weeks before they know the type of repairs they need – but then the repairs could last months.

Regarding details on the damage, SDOT engineer Matt Donahue is answering off-camera. He says a “post tensioning steel strand” in the bridge supports is where the problem is. What kind of repairs are needed? Zimbabwe says some shoring for starters, followed by likely “some kind of fiber wrap” among other things. “They take some time to design and construct.”

The timing with the drop in traffic is just coincidental, says Zimbabwe. We asked about other transportation options – this is so sudden they don’t have that worked out yet.

They will be out with maps soon to show the closure. From WS east, detour signage will start in The Junction, Admiral, Delridge, 35th, etc., appearing starting tonight. I-5 traffic will not be allowed onto the Spokane St. Viaduct (the east half of the high bridge) except for transit, freight, and emergency vehicles, to “avoid confusion.”

Zimbabwe says it was no one thing that led to this decision – but for example some of the vehicles and volumes on it are more than it was designed for. Couldn’t load restrictions enable reopening? Not in this case, he said. Plus, he notes, the bridge design means “80 percent of the load is the bridge itself.”

3:26 PM: The briefing is over. We recorded it on video (shakily off a Skype feed but it’ll have to do unless the city has a copy available) and will add that after we upload it.

ADDED 7:42 PM: SDOT crews are out blocking off access points. Also City Councilmember Lisa Herbold has sent a statement:

“I have questions why the lower level bridge cannot be used for vehicular traffic at this time, and how soon it can be opened for traffic given lower traffic volumes in Seattle due to COVID-19 guidance, and specifically reduced traffic volumes to West Seattle via the West Seattle Bridge in light of the new COVID-19 Shelter in Place Orders. My office has requested that SDOT appeal to the Coast Guard to make fewer bridge openings of the lower level bridge to allow for more buses and cars to cross, like they did in early 2019 when the Alaskan Way Viaduct closed and the SR99 tunnel was not yet open.
“My office will continue to monitor the closure and work with SDOT and other partners to provide West Seattle residents and the public updates.