West Seattle Bridge Weekly Update
News about the week ahead for the West Seattle Bridge Program.
We finished assembling the east span work platforms that will be hoisted into place this weekend. We’ll begin the lift on Saturday morning, January 29, using industrial winches – a mechanical device for pulling in or winding out a wire cable – positioned on the bridge deck. Friendly reminder that the platforms are hoisted 120 feet above the ground!
 Winches are used to hoist the work platforms with the cable running through an opening on the bridge deck that we cut last month.
After the last of the work platforms are installed on the underside of the bridge, we can start assembling scaffolding on them and prepare for carbon-fiber wrapping work on the bridge’s exterior. Next week, we’ll also begin epoxy injection work on the interior of the bridge.
 A hole drilled through 17 feet of concrete in the interior of the high bridge in preparation for utility relocation.
We also continue our concrete scanning using ground penetrating radar in preparation for core drilling that will be happening in the next month. Core drilling allows us to create access holes to run post-tensioning cables through so that they can further reinforce the strength of the bridge’s concrete.
 While crews are hoisting work platforms on the eastern span of the high bridge, people accessing Terminal 102 will be rerouted as a safety measure to avoid the work area. These traffic impacts will occur in the daytime on Saturday, January 29. Those traveling east and westbound on SW Spokane St will not be impacted. Detour signs will be in place for those traveling to and from Terminal 102. View the detour route map.
On Saturday and Sunday, we will repave two blocks of SW 106th St between Seola Beach Drive and 32nd Ave SW. We’ll begin this work as early as 7 AM and expect to be done by 3 PM. If you are driving on SW 106th St during this work be prepared for single lane reductions. Please anticipate traffic delays. We do not expect impacts for people walking and biking in the area.
Mariners on the Duwamish Waterway will have limited access under the low bridge tonight through Tuesday morning
Between 11:59 PM tonight, Friday, January 28 and 5 AM on Tuesday, February 1, mariners will have limited access under the Spokane St Swing Bridge (low bridge) to navigate the Duwamish Waterway. During this time, the low bridge will have single-leaf openings, which is when only the east half of the bridge will be able to open for marine vessels.
This change is necessary to allow us to remove one of the bridge’s hydraulic pumps for routine maintenance. The pump is part of the system that allows the two leaves of the low bridge to swing open and close to maritime traffic.
In the coming months, bridge opening deviations such as this one will be needed as we plan to install work platforms on the low bridge, re-install hydraulic pumps, and change out the bridge’s lift cylinder. While timelines for each of these work elements are unique, we will work to minimize disruptions to vessels on the Duwamish Waterway and provide advanced notice for future deviation needs.
For people walking, biking, rolling, and driving on the low bridge, these single-leaf openings will not take longer than a typical low bridge opening. However, on Sunday, people can expect closures up to 30 minutes during a low bridge closure for bridge measurements.
This Sunday, January 30, we'll briefly close the low bridge three times a day to the public. Each closure can last up to 30 minutes, which is about twice as long as the bridge is closed to traffic when it swings open for a maritime vessel.
 The Spokane St Swing Bridge (low bridge) swings open for maritime traffic.
This year we will perform important rehabilitation upgrades to the low bridge to ensure that it remains in safe and usable condition. Since late December, we’ve used short-term low bridge closures to measure important deflection data for the low bridge so that future construction scaffolding will fit properly while we complete this rehabilitation work.
We complete these short closures during off-peak periods and when there are lulls in traffic to minimize impacts to the community, including transit, freight, and other approved low bridge users.
The scheduled closure times for this Sunday are during lulls in traffic around 9 AM, around 1 PM, and around 5 PM.
People driving who are authorized to use the low bridge will need to take the signed detour routes during these closures, take the trip at a different time, or wait up to 30 minutes until the bridge reopens. People biking, walking, or rolling on the low bridge path can wait up to 30 minutes for the bridge path to reopen or they can continue south to use the 1st Ave S Bridge path.
To see what traffic looks like in real-time, visit our SDOT Traveler’s page and select the camera icon near the low bridge.
The Flip Your Trip West Seattle program has been working with communities in West Seattle, South Park, and Georgetown to provide transportation support during the West Seattle Bridge repairs.
Along with our charismatic SpokesSalmon Sal, our team has been helping people who live or work in these neighborhoods to find better ways of getting around by providing financial support, offering trip planning assistance, and holding special events to share resources with community members.
 Sal the Salmon rides the bus while listening to a song on her favorite pair of headphones. Photo credit: SDOT
The Flip Your Trip program offers a sign-up bonus of $25 in free trips to anyone who lives or works in West Seattle, South Park, or Georgetown. This can be used on transit, the water taxi and even e-scooters. All in all, it’s a great time to consider trying transit.
Join our online Zoom webinar on February 2 to learn more
For anyone who is curious about riding the bus, water taxi, or light rail but not sure exactly where to start, the Flip Your Trip West Seattle team invites you to join our live webinar on Wednesday, February 2. We’ll cover the basics and walk through how to plan and take your first (or next) transit trip in the West Seattle area.
Thank you for your interest, and we hope to see you out for a ride soon!
 The work area on East Marginal Way S.
On Saturday, we will be addressing vegetation overgrowth and clearing sidewalks of leaves on East Marginal Way S between S Hudson St and S Alaska St. We’ll begin this work as early as 7 AM and expect to be done by 5 PM. Traffic impacts may include the closure of the northbound lane next to the sidewalk.
This week, we’re starting a new segment in this email – question of the week. This is to help answer some of the common questions we hear from the community.
Our first question of the week: What are other ways to get to and from West Seattle?
Alternate routes for those traveling to and from West Seattle by car include the 1st Ave S Bridge or the South Park Bridge. The Spokane St Swing Bridge (low bridge) is open for you if you're riding transit, in a vanpool, walking, rolling, riding a scooter, or biking. Our online guide to getting to, from, and around West Seattle is regularly updated with ways to travel to, from, and around the West Seattle peninsula during major bridge closures. Walking, biking, taking transit, ridesharing — or changing your trip to stay local or travel at off-peak times — are all ways people are getting around and helping reduce their impact on communities located along major detour routes.
If you or someone you know wants to talk with us, give feedback, or could benefit from having this information read to them in another language, please call (206) 400-7511.
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