News from King County Department of Transportation
Release date:  June 29, 2007

South Park Bridge will close July 14-15

The King County Road Services Division will close the South Park Bridge over the Duwamish River Saturday and Sunday, July 14-15, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. During the closure, crews will be trimming teeth and other structure at the center of the draw span to restore proper alignment, plus repairing rail posts and electrical conduits.

While the bridge is closed, there will be no vehicle or pedestrian access on14th/16th Avenue South. The bridge will open one leaf for boat traffic with a four-hour advance notice. Motorists can detour via the First Avenue South Bridge.

Studies of the South Park Bridge show the condition of the 76-year-old span is severely deteriorated and was made worse during the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake. In recent years, the aging bridge has been difficult to operate due to long-term movement of the drawbridge piers. This is the sixth alignment repair to the moveable spans since the 2001 earthquake. The piers have continued to move, and repairs are now urgently needed before any further misalignment impacts bridge operation. The crossing is used by an average of 20,000 vehicles a day.

King County is proceeding with design of a new parallel drawbridge, the alternative selected as part of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process. Funding of the replacement bridge is contingent upon passage of a regional transportation package that will go to voters this fall.

There is more information about the bridge online.