The Seattle Department of Transportation says that while it is continuing efforts to repairs the West Seattle high-Rise Bridge, it is also issuing a Request for Qualifications from design teams should the bridge be found to be unrepairable.
The cantilevered segmental bridge is the primary connector between West Seattle and the rest of the city. The bridge was closed on March 23 when engineers discovered cracks in the bridge’s deck. Cracks on the girder walls had grown to two feet within a month, while hollow girder cracks were noticed during routine inspections. The cracks were thought to be caused by an earthquake in 2001.
Since then, the SDOT said it has been working to repair the bridge, as well as inspecting it and monitoring it daily. The SDOT said they have installed an intelligent monitoring system and had created an emergency plan for a “worst-case scenario” and had engaged the public through a task force of community leaders and advocates to guide the bridge’s path forward.
“While we are making rapid progress on our efforts to stabilize the bridge – an initial set of actions we must take to preserve public safety no matter what – we need to have all pieces in place to quickly pivot if it becomes clear that fixing the bridge is no longer an option due to continued deterioration,” the department said on its website. “We continue to write flexibility into all our contracts and plans. Moving forward with this dual-track approach of repair and replacement is critical… This step will allow us to make sure that we are selecting the most highly qualified team, while also giving us flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances before a contract is signed. We will look for the most creative teams with a track record of delivering highly complex projects.
Before closing, the bridge saw up to 125,000 cars travel across it per day.
The SDOT said it expects to finalize its analysis of the bridge’s structural stability later this summer. From there, the department will determine whether to repair the bridge or replace it.
“Currently, we do not know if repair of the bridge is feasible technically or financially. If repair is feasible, it’s likely this would only restore up to an additional decade of life to the bridge. In either case, we will need to replace the West Seattle High Rise-Bridge much sooner than promised when it opened in 1984,” the SDOT said. “If repair is possible, under a “best case” scenario, we do not anticipate the bridge reopening in 2020 or 2021. Despite these challenges, we are exploring all options to preserve the integrity of the bridge so that we can make the best decision possible for the residents of West Seattle and all who rely on this critical infrastructure.”