County seeks buyer for old Mt. Si Bridge

Mt. Si Bridge.

The King County Road Services Division has a unique item for sale – the historic Mt. Si Bridge.

The bridge was originally built in 1914 over the White River in Buckley, and then relocated to the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River near North Bend in 1955, where it continues to serve the public. But, the county is currently building a replacement bridge, and hopes to find a good home for the historic steel truss part of the old bridge by the time the new bridge is completed in 2008.

Due to its age and somewhat unique structural elements, the old bridge was designated as a King County Landmark. Even though it is no longer useful to the county as a bridge for two-way vehicle traffic, the Roads Service Division hopes it can be reused as a trail bridge, footbridge, or even small-gauge railway bridge by another public agency.

King County will remove the bridge from its foundation and the new owner will be responsible for removing, reassembling and repairing the bridge, and must keep intact the historic structure of the truss.

If the old bridge is relocated, it won’t be forgotten in the Snoqualmie Valley. The new Mt. Si Bridge had design elements that echo the silhouette of the old bridge.

TRAFFIC WATCH: Mariners end Angels series with Wednesday day game

The Seattle Mariners end their important series with the Angels in a day game on Wednesday, Aug. 29 at Safeco Field.

Wednesday’s game starts at 1:35 p.m. Fans leaving the game at Safeco could affect the late-afternoon commute and early evening traffic in downtown Seattle. Regular commuters may want to adjust their work schedules to leave town earlier that day, or avoid the area around the stadium.

For those going to the game, Metro Transit offers lots of regular service that travels near Safeco Field in the mid-afternoon. After the game is over, avoid the congestion, by taking regular bus service home. There is no special shuttle service either before or after the day games.

Detailed information for all Mariners service is available on the Metro Online website. Or, call (206) 553-3000 (voice) or (206) 684-1739 (TTY).

TRAFFIC WATCH: Seahawks host Raiders in Thursday evening game

The Seattle Seahawks will take on the Oakland Raiders in the final pre-season game this Thursday, Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. at Qwest Field.

Expect extra traffic congestion downtown and around the stadium in the late afternoon and early evening. Commuters may want to plan their trip home to avoid the south end of downtown if possible, or adjust their work schedule to leave a little earlier. Bus passengers should expect traffic delays in the downtown and SODO areas.

Because this game falls on a weeknight, there will be no special Metro pre-game service. Instead, use regularly scheduled transit service to get to the stadium. After the game there will be post-game shuttles to five outlying park-and-ride lots including: South Kirkland; Eastgate; Kent/James Street; Federal Way/S. 320th; and the Northgate Transit Service. The shuttle fare is $3 one way.

The special shuttle service will kick into full swing for the first regular season home game on Sunday, Sept. 9. For more information about Metro’s Seahawks service, visit Metro Online.

Metro’s Michael Grady finishes third at state roadeo

Michael Grady

Metro Transit’s Michael Grady was among the top three finishers at the 2007 Washington State Public Transportation Roadeo held recently in Vancouver.

Grady, a five-time Metro champion, competed in the 40-foot coach division against 27 other contestants from across the state. Grady came in third, behind drivers from Pierce Transit and Spokane Transit. He now advances to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) International Roadeo next May.

Blue Angels visit a big hit with students

Students in King County’s Opportunity Skyway program and the Highline School District’s Aviation High School had a rare opportunity to meet with elite pilots from the U.S. Navy Blue Angels during the squad’s recent Seafair visit.

The Opportunity Skyway students showed the Blue Angels the Rans Coyote two-seater airplane they have been building this summer, and students in both programs had the opportunity to take part in a question-and-answer session with the pilots regarding their F/A-18 aircraft and flight techniques, as well as other aviation issues.

These student visits have become a tradition for the Blue Angels while they are in Seattle for Seafair festivities.

Labor Day transit service

On Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 3, Metro Transit and Sound Transit will operate with a Sunday schedule. If a route does not normally run on Sunday, there will be no service on Labor Day.

The Elliott Bay Water Taxi and Water Taxi Land Shuttle will both operate on a Saturday schedule. Metro's Pony Express to Emerald Downs Race Track will also be operating on the holiday.

All Metro offices will be closed on Labor Day.

Bus to Bumbershoot

Over the coming Labor Day weekend, Metro will be providing transit service to the 37th annual Bumbershoot Festival. This large-scale arts festival features more than 2,500 artists on more than 20 stages and venues at the Seattle Center.

There will be no special service to the festival on Friday, Aug. 31, because there is plenty of regular weekday bus service to the center.

There is special shuttle from the Northgate Park-and-Ride lot at Northeast 112th Street and 5th Avenue Northeast, and from the Northgate Transit center at 1st Avenue Northeast and Northeast 103rd Street. That fare is $2 each way, and the shuttle operates Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 1-3. The return trip boarding location at the
Seattle Center for the Northgate shuttles is eastbound on Mercer Street, just east of Third Avenue North.

See Metro Online for more details.