County’s annual bridge report continues to
highlight need for replacing South Park span

The King County Road Services Division (RSD) recently published its annual bridge report, and once again replacement of the South Park Bridge over the Duwamish River continues to rank as the highest need among the county's 179 bridges.

This 27-foot-long timber bridge near Redmond was built in 1953 and required significant repairs 55 years later to keep it safe for travel.

The South Park Bridge, a 78-year-old drawbridge, is located on 14th/16 Avenue South, and borders the cities of Seattle and Tukwila along with neighborhoods in unincorporated King County. It carries 20,000 vehicles a day, and serves the largest manufacturing/industrial centers in the Northwest, an international seaport, and an aviation hub.

The bridge suffers from widespread steel corrosion on the main spans, crumbling and settling concrete piers, and an outdated electrical control system. The bridge has become increasingly difficult to maintain and repair, resulting in frequent bridge closures that disrupt both vehicle and marine traffic.

King County has submitted an application for $99 million in federal funding toward the $153 million replacement cost of the bridge. The grant announcement won’t be made until early next year. If construction funds to replace the South Park Bridge cannot be secured, the bridge will be closed in 2010 due to its extreme deterioration.

In 2002, the bridge earned a sufficiency rating of 6 out of a possible 100, per Federal Highway Administration criteria. In the 2008 Annual Bridge Report, the South Park Bridge’s rating had fallen to 4.

Despite the poor score of South Park Bridge, the county’s collective rating for bridges in unincorporated King County has risen in recent years. Considering that the bridge inventory continues to age, maintaining the current average Sufficiency Rating is a significant accomplishment. The overall Sufficiency Rating for all county bridges in recent years has risen from 65.9 in 2003 to 70.4 in 2008.

Crumbling concrete supports are just part of many problems with the South Park Bridge.

With limited revenues and many unfunded transportation needs in King County, emphasis is placed on preserving the existing bridge infrastructure. A number of repair programs, coupled with seismic retrofit and bridge rehabilitation programs, ensure that the useful life of the current bridge inventory is maximized. In some cases; however, bridges cannot be feasibly upgraded, and these structures are replaced or are weight restricted.

The three main goals of the bridge programs are:
1 - Keep the bridges open and safe for public use;
2 - Preserve bridge infrastructure by maximizing its useful life through ongoing maintenance, retrofitting, and rehabilitation; and
3 - Replace bridges with reliable new structures when repair or rehabilitation is not feasible.

Other major accomplishments in 2008 include: replacing four short span bridges in the Fall City area; 62 projects involving significant maintenance or bridge repairs; and completing a 14-year project to seismically retrofit 115 bridges countywide. Also, 218 routine bridge inspections were conducted in 2008.

Although most of the bridges are in good shape, there is plenty of work ahead for the division’s bridge unit. Staff is finishing a replacement of the Bandaret Bridge south of Issaquah, completed three short span projects this summer with more in the coming years, and continues to design replacements or repairs for six load-limited bridges.

King County Department of Transportation Director Harold Taniguchi (center) accepts the award from Kathleen Davis (center right) of the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Tolt Bridge project earns honors for county

The beauty and utility of the new Tolt Bridge over the Snoqualmie River was recently recognized by the Federal Highway Administration and Washington State Department of Transportation.

Each year, the agencies select four public transportation projects statewide for recognition. The projects represent the best in transportation construction, safety, innovative design, environmental compatibility, and public involvement and satisfaction.

This year, the “Director’s Award” – which is the equivalent of a best overall category – went to the King County Road Services Division’s Tolt Bridge project. The new bridge opened to traffic in May 2008, after an 18-month construction period. The county worked closely with the local community to preserve the historic look of the 86-year-old bridge it replaced.

This Saturday will bring an end to another beautiful Water Taxi season on Elliott Bay.

West Seattle Water Taxi sailing season ends Oct. 31

The West Seattle/downtown Seattle route of the King County Water Taxi will complete its 2009 sailing season on Saturday, Oct. 31.  King County Metro Transit shuttle buses that connect the water taxi with the Admiral District (Route 775) and the West Seattle Junction (Route 773) will also conclude service on Oct. 31.  
 
The Water Taxi is a seasonal passenger-only ferry service between Seacrest Park in West Seattle and Pier 55 in Downtown Seattle. The Water Taxi service is funded by the King County Ferry District.

Daylight Savings ends this weekend – adjust your bus clock

Pacific Standard Time (PST) officially starts at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, and Metro Transit passengers should keep that in mind when taking early morning bus trips.

On Saturday night, Oct. 31, all Saturday service, including Night Owl trips that leave the Central Business District at 2:15 a.m. and 3:30 a.m., operate on Daylight Saving Time. If you ride the bus Saturday night, including the 2:15 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. Owls, wait to set your clocks back until after you are done riding buses for the night.

All trips leaving the bus bases on Sunday morning operate on Pacific Standard Time. If you are planning to ride Sunday morning service, be sure to set your clock back Saturday night.

TRAFFIC ALERT: Sounders playoff game Thursday night

The Seattle Sounders soccer team will open up the post season with a playoff game against the Houston Dynamo on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Qwest Field.

The game could disrupt traffic as thousands of fans in green-and-blue scarves are expected to descend on Pioneer Square and the Sodo area. Expect traffic congestion during the afternoon and evening commute. Also, bus passengers who are traveling through the downtown area Thursday afternoon may experience some delays in transit service.

For fans wanting to beat the traffic and travel to the game by bus, use Metro Transit’s Trip Planner to plan a route most convenient for you. And, West Seattle Water Taxi passengers should be aware the Water Taxi will operate a Friday night schedule on game night, with the last sailing from Seattle to West Seattle at 10:30 p.m.