Skip to main content

Seattle bridge repairs required

Major repairs are required for the West Seattle Bridge.
By MJ Woof August 24, 2020 Read time: 1 min
Costly repairs are needed to the West Seattle Bridge – image courtesy © Mariana Ianovska, Dreamstime.com

Major repair work is needed for the West Seattle Bridge. Estimates suggest that the necessary work could cost from US$160-$225 million.

Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is securing the financing required for the work. Funding is being sourced from the city’s budget as well as from loans.

The cracking in the bridge, which opened to traffic in 1984, appears to have been caused by a number of factors. The bridge carries more traffic and more heavy trucks than it was originally designed for and an extra lane was added some years ago. The bridge also suffered from a jammed bearing, as well as coping with an earthquake and creep in its concrete structure, resulting in a reduction of tension in the steel reinforcement.

Related Content

  • Mega city transport in Mexico
    June 13, 2012
    Rapid urban growth is resulting in massive mega cities with major transport needs and Mexico City is one of the world’s largest – Mike Woof reports Mexico City is a vast, sprawling metropolis and one of the world’s largest cities, resulting in huge problems for its inhabitants, particularly with regard to infrastructure. Measuring population size is an inexact science for large cities as suburban areas can add to the figures considerably, especially in developing nations where unplanned expansion is as comm
  • New version of world’s longest floating bridge
    August 12, 2014
    The creation of a new version of the world’s longest floating bridge in Seattle, in the US state of Washington, is among the world’s most eye-catching current bridge engineering projects. It is an impressive example of the health of the bridge replacement sector, particularly in the US, leaving it well placed for growth. Guy Woodford reports Already the world’s longest floating bridge at over 2,310m long, the Governor Albert D Rosellini-Evergreen Point Floating Bridge in Seattle in the United States is g
  • Golden route to success
    July 20, 2012
    Built in 1937 and still the ninth longest suspension bridge in the world, the Golden Gate Bridge across San Francisco Bay remains in fine shape despite its age - Andrew Bardin Williams writes The Golden Gate Bridge turned 75 years old on May 27 and continues to play a key role in the transportation, engineering, construction and ITS communities. The structure has played an important historical role, an engineering success that boosted the economy of the region. And it also led the way as the first major pub
  • US$1.35 billion transport funding boost for Seattle
    April 17, 2024
    A US$1.35 billion transport funding boost for Seattle is being proposed.