Future Sound Transit bridge could take on traffic of closed West Seattle Bridge

Written by RT&S Staff
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The West Seattle Bridge has been closed to traffic and will not reopen until 2022.

With the West Seattle Bridge now closed until at least 2022, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan is turning to Sound Transit for a new bridge over the Duwamish Waterway.

The West Seattle Bridge was closed on April 15 due to cracking that was first spotted in 2013 and continues to get worse. The span is the most traveled in Seattle, handling as much as 100,000 vehicles a day.

Currently in a design and review phase, a West Seattle line is expected to be constructed in the coming years, and Durkan is wondering if Sound Transit could find a way to “combine those two bridges.” Perhaps the rail line bridge could be both a rail bridge and a vehicular bridge.

The King County Council believes the West Seattle Bridge should received priority funding. The lower portion of the West Seattle Bridge is still being used for bus transit and emergency responders.

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