Seattle bridge repairs planned

Repairs are being planned for the West Seattle Bridge.
By MJ Woof December 1, 2020 Read time: 1 min
A repair plan has now been set for the West Seattle Bridge – image courtesy © Mariana Ianovska, Dreamstime.com
Further repair works are being planned for the troubled West Seattle Bridge in the US. The link had to be closed to traffic in March 2020 when cracks were found in the structure.

Repairing the bridge has been selected as the best option as this will cost in the region of US$47 million to carry out. By comparison, replacing the structure entirely would cost anything from $390 million to $522 million. The bridge carries around 100,000 vehicles/day, considerably more than it was designed for. Opened in 1984, the bridge later had an extra lane added.

The link has had issues in the past including a jammed bearing, as well as creep in its concrete structure and also had to cope with an earthquake.

Phase I of the repair programme is now being completed. But Phase II will require more time to carry out, with the repairs being completed by mid-2022.

The plans also call for the construction of a second bridge that will carry a light rail link, as well as cars and in addition, will have facilities for cyclists.
Maintenance

Related Content

  • Morocco’s new motorway links are boosting connectivity
    December 16, 2014
    Morocco’s massive motorway construction programme will improve transport connections and boost this North African country’s economy - Mike Woof reports A massive road building programme is transforming Morocco, with new motorways connecting cities and major towns, as well as many new rural roads being built. The Moroccan Government has set an impressive plan for its infrastructure investment that will see even the country’s small and remote villages having proper connections to the main road network. The
    Read More
  • Forming iconic structures
    July 18, 2012
    Specially designed and constructed formwork is being used to create some iconic bridges worldwide The Golden Ears Bridge over the Fraser River will unite the municipalities of Richmond, New Westminister and Delta in the scenic British Columbia province of Canada. The bridge, part of a CAD$800 million (US$670 million) project, is an 'extra dosed' cable stayed bridge, which means the deck will be supported by both cables and the structure itself. This design reduces the overall height of the two towers as req
    Read More
  • Upgrading a busy A road link in the UK
    July 4, 2018
    The upgrade to the UK’s busy A14 route will address a significant traffic bottleneck - Mike Woof writes The UK is suffering badly from traffic congestion, a problem that is particularly severe in and around its major cities. Lack of investment in road construction over many years has resulted in a major backlog of work, while the country has seen growing vehicle numbers. To make matters worse, there have been few additions to the major road network since the late 1980s and early 1990s. And the combinatio
    Read More
  • Lindsay argues the case for reversible lanes over adding lanes
    June 26, 2018
    Build new lanes or use existing lanes more effectively? In a recent US study* commissioned by Lindsay Transportation Solutions, the company argues the case for reversible lanes. The level of future uncertainty in transportation planning - specifically in addressing congestion on urban freeways - has increased significantly over the past few years. The impact of connected and autonomous vehicles on traffic flow, of Mobility as a Service (MaaS) initiatives, particularly the car-sharing elements, and exciting
    Read More

Highlighted Content