April 27 community meeting to highlight latest closure planning for South Park Bridge

Residents and businesses interested in learning more about how the upcoming closure of the South Park Bridge will impact transportation and other services in their community are invited to attend an open house Tuesday, April 27. The meeting will be held:

6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Machinists Hall
9125 15th Place S., Seattle

During the meeting, the King County Department of Transportation, along with representatives from the city of Seattle and other agencies, will share the latest information on closure planning, including what’s being done to minimize disruption to businesses and public services.

King County Executive Dow Constantine has made it a priority to develop a responsible financing plan for replacement of the bridge that has a realistic chance of success. He is bringing together a broad-based group of stakeholders—including state and city elected officials, business owners, and community members—to develop funding options for a replacement bridge.

However, in order to protect the safety of the public, the county will close the South Park Bridge spanning the Duwamish River on June 30. The bridge is suffering from widespread steel corrosion, crumbling concrete piers and an outdated electrical control system. The main drawbridge piers are also unstable. The condition of the bridge is so bad it now has an engineering sufficiency rating of 4 out of a possible 100, making it the worst heavily traveled bridge in the state of Washington.

The county’s transportation department, city of Seattle and other agencies and utilities that provide vital services in the area are working with community leaders and others on a closure plan for the bridge. The plan will examine:

• Strategies, such as signal timing and signage, to minimize congestion and traffic impacts
• How Metro Transit buses will be re-routed after the closure
• How police, fire and emergency services will be coordinated
• Strategies to minimize the impacts of the closure on businesses in the community

For more information about the meeting, call the South Park Bridge Closure Line at (206) 263-9979. You can also learn more about the meeting and planning for the upcoming closure of the South Park Bridge by visiting www.kingcounty.gov/southparkbridge.