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.
