Maritime vessels on the Duwamish Waterway will have limited access under the Spokane St Swing Bridge February 11 – 15, 2023

City of Seattle, Washington sent this bulletin at 02/10/2023 10:19 AM PST
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Maritime vessels on the Duwamish Waterway will have limited access under the Spokane St Swing Bridge February 11 – 15, 2023

Between 1 AM Saturday, February 11 and 5 AM Wednesday, February 15, maritime vessels will have limited access under the Spokane St Swing Bridge to navigate the Duwamish Waterway. We do not expect impacts to people driving, walking, or biking.

During this time, only one span (side) of the bridge will swing open and close for maritime vessels on the Duwamish Waterway.

  • East bridge span single openings: 1 AM Saturday, Feb. 11 through 1 AM Tuesday, February 14
  • West bridge span single openings: 1 AM Tuesday, Feb. 14 through 5 AM Wednesday, Feb. 15
A photo of the Spokane St Swing Bridge swinging open for maritime vessels to travel through below.

A photo of the Spokane St Swing Bridge swinging open for maritime vessels to pass through below on the Duwamish Waterway. Photo credit: SDOT

We’ve been communicating with the U.S. Coast Guard and mariners about this work, which will limit when some larger vessels can pass through.

This change is necessary for us to remove the bridge’s hydraulic pumps for routine maintenance. These pumps push hydraulic fluid to the bridge’s cylinders, allowing the cylinders to swing the bridge open and close for maritime vessels.  

A graphic showing the components that lift and rotate the bridge for openings.

A graphic showing the components that lift and rotate the bridge for openings. The lift cylinder lifts the bridge. The hydraulic pumps pump the fluid that lifts and turns the cylinders. The turn cylinders rotate the bridge span, allowing it to open and close.

How the bridge is performing since turn cylinder repairs in January

After completing repairs and reopening the Spokane St Swing Bridge on January 13, the bridge is operating as expected and the turn cylinder we removed is being analyzed to determine the next steps for refurbishment.  

We have more work planned for 2023, including rehabilitating the east side lift cylinder and upgrading the bridge’s control and communications system. We’ll share updates on the project webpage and through email. If you’d like to stay updated on the Spokane St Swing Bridge work, please sign up for our new email list here.

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