 We began wrapping the bridge’s exterior with carbon-fiber reinforced polymer on the west side of the bridge this week. The carbon-fiber wrap works together with the epoxy we are injecting into the cracks to strengthen the concrete. We will continue applying carbon-fiber wrap on the bridge’s interior and exterior in the coming weeks.
  After filling cracks with epoxy, we apply carbon-fiber wrap to sections of the bridge.
We also completed more preparation work for the post-tensioning system that will be used to strengthen the bridge. This prep work included drilling holes for the cables to pass through the bridge’s interior, constructing and positioning more post-tensioning components, and installing rebar for post-tensioning anchors. We’ll pour concrete to form these anchors as soon as concrete becomes available.
 Inside the bridge, one of our crew members assembles a form for a post-tensioning deviator block - a concrete component that guides the post-tensioning cables throughout the bridge’s interior.
In the coming weeks, we’ll finish assembling scaffolding on the east platforms so that we can begin epoxy crack injection and carbon-fiber wrap work on the exterior of the east side of the bridge.
Saturday and Sunday: Repaving West Marginal Way SW between 2nd Ave SW and Highland Park Way SW
We are returning to West Marginal Way to pave the other side of the street we paved in early February. On Saturday and Sunday, we will be repaving West Marginal Way SW between 2nd Ave SW and Highland Park Way SW. We anticipate beginning this work as early as 1 AM and concluding by 1 PM on both days. During work hours, we will be limiting the area to southbound traffic only.
People driving northbound will follow a detour route that continues north on 2nd Ave SW to Highland Park Way and connects at the Highland Park Way/West Marginal Way intersection. The road will be fully open outside of work hours, but please anticipate traffic delays and navigate the area with caution.
Sunday: Making changes at the Chelan 5-way intersection to help West Seattle Bridge detour route run more smoothly
We’ll be working to close the northbound lane at the Chelan 5-way intersection for people turning into Terminal 5 and Terminal 7. This change is being made to help the West Seattle Bridge detour route run more smoothly. At this intersection, delays and traffic congestion from train activity have become more frequent and have ranged from just a minute or two, up to 90 minutes. Since this route is a vital pathway for people traveling into and out of West Seattle during the bridge closure, it is important that we keep traffic moving efficiently and safely for everyone.
To make these changes, we’ll need to update the striping on the street, add and remove signs, and make some traffic signal updates. During this work, we’ll need to turn off the signal for a period of time. We’ll have a uniformed police officer directing traffic at the intersection to make sure traffic is moving efficiently during this work. We’ll start as early as 4 AM on Sunday morning and expect to be done by 1:30 PM that day.
  Just west of this intersection, we’ll also be adding directional signs on westbound SW Spokane St to provide earlier notice of the correct lane to be in for the Admiral Way or Harbor Ave/Avalon Way exits. We’ll make small updates to the road striping to support these new signs. We plan to start this work in the early morning on Sunday, as early as 4 AM and expect to be done by 6 AM that same day.
King County Metro recently opened two new bus stops, one northbound and one southbound, on Alaskan Way S near Jackson St. These stops serve bus routes 55, 56, 57, 113, 120, 121, 125, and the RapidRide C Line. Each of these routes serve neighborhoods in West Seattle and nearby Duwamish Valley communities. New bus shelters will be added to the new bus stops this summer.
 Map of new bus stops along Alaskan Way S, near S Jackson St, along Seattle’s waterfront. The two new bus stops’ locations can be seen in the large green circular bus icons. Graphic credit: King County Metro
The opening of these new bus stops on Alaskan Way is the latest set of transit improvements made possible by the ongoing partnership between the Waterfront Seattle Program and King County Metro over the past three years of construction. Visit our blog to learn more about which bus routes these stops serve.
We know that emergencies happen, and you may need to drive to the hospital instead of calling an ambulance or make a trip across the low bridge for some other emergency. One example we are often asked about is if someone who is pregnant can drive across the low bridge when they are in labor.
 The low bridge is located next to the high bridge. It is restricted to ensure that freight, transit, and emergency response vehicles can travel efficiently to and from West Seattle.
With automated photo enforcement in place on the low bridge, all unauthorized vehicles crossing the low bridge between 5 AM and 9 PM on weekdays and 8 AM and 9 PM on weekends will receive a $75 citation. If you decide to drive on the low bridge during a medical emergency, the $75 citation will include instructions on how to contest it. For more questions about low bridge access, you can visit our webpage or contact us at westseattlebridge@seattle.gov or (206) 400-7511.
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Ongoing concrete strike: There is an ongoing general strike of concrete drivers and concrete plant workers in the Seattle area that involves companies that supply us with concrete for our many active construction projects.This project, and several others, have had to pause concrete paving work until the strike is resolved. This is a challenge and we support a fair resolution among the parties. In the near term, we're continuing other project work and will share more about any impacts to this project as information becomes available. We remain hopeful that this issue will be resolved soon.
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Flip Your Trip offers support and free rides to those who live or work in West Seattle. Sign up today at FlipYourTrip.org to receive a special welcome bonus worth $25 in FREE trips you can use on transit, water taxi, and bike/scooter-share (using the Transit GO Ticket app)—as well as the first month free on Metro vanpools, personalized trip planning, informational events, and more.
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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