South Park Bridge - Frequently-asked questions
Construction | New bridge | Neighborhood | General questions
- When will construction start and finish?
Construction started in May 2011 and is scheduled to finish by the end of 2013. These dates may be subject to change due to variables such as design issues, construction difficulties, and inclement weather.
- When will the new bridge open to traffic?
We expect the bridge to open to all traffic in September 2013. After the bridge is open, some construction activities will continue through the end of the year.
- During what hours will construction activities take place?
A typical construction day starts at 7 a.m. and ends in mid-afternoon. During certain phases of work, crews may choose to work longer to meet scheduled milestones or to take advantage of favorable weather and/or daylight. Work during double shifts extends typically to 2:30 a.m., 6 days a week.
Ideally, there will be little or no night construction, but the contractor may decide to work overtime on certain phases of the project, which could include night work. King County will give the community as much notice as possible for any scheduled night work. - Will there be street closures during construction?
South Orr Street near the bridge will be closed throughout most of the 32-month project. Dallas Avenue South and South Sullivan Street just west of 14th Avenue South will be closed while work is being done to reconfigure the intersection of Dallas Avenue South, South Sullivan Street, and 14th Avenue South. The access road just east of the old bridge (in front of the tire store) will have intermittent closures during the project. Access to all businesses and residences will be maintained throughout the project.
- Will there be access to the businesses on 14th Avenue South during construction?
All businesses in South Park will be accessible throughout the entire project.
- What will be done to protect the environment during construction?
The builder will take measures to minimize the disturbance of contaminated sediment during in-water pile work, use containment systems to keep all construction debris and runoff out of the river, use "bubble curtains" to reduce in-water noise from pile driving, and carefully monitor all excavation activities to avoid potential impacts from erosion and contaminated soil and groundwater. The project team will carefully monitor water quality and in-water noise in the Duwamish Waterway, as well as taking other measures to ensure proper environmental compliance throughout the project.
- How will the new bridge be different from the old one?
The new bridge will meet current structural, seismic, and traffic standards. New bicycle lanes will be built on the roadway shoulders, and sidewalks will be separated from the roadway by a traffic rail. State-of-the-art mechanical and electrical drive systems will substantially improve the bridge’s operation. The moveable spans will have a solid deck rather than open steel grating, which will capture roadway runoff and direct it to the rain garden for treatment instead of draining directly to the river. The concrete deck will also provide better traction. The rain garden will not only naturally treat roadway runoff, but will also feature salvaged components of the old bridge and interpretive displays along a walkway that will also provide improved access to the riverfront. The current five-way intersection at Dallas Avenue South and 14th Avenue South will be reconfigured into a safer four-way intersection. Street landscaping will be used throughout the bridge site. The concrete rubble on the riverbank will be replaced with native vegetation to provide better marine habitat. - What will the new bridge look like?
The community expressed a strong desire for the new bridge to be similar to the old bridge in scale and appearance. The new bridge will have an arched main span truss, brick-clad control towers, and other features that are reminiscent of the period when the old bridge was built. Learn more about what the new bridge will look like.
- How will the new bridge be better for the environment than the old bridge?
The new bridge has been designed to restore this stretch of the Duwamish Waterway to a more natural condition. The contractor will remove the pier walls lining the waterway, which are made of hundreds of creosote-treated timber piles, and replace them with pier walls made of steel and recycled materials. The in-water footprint of the bridge has been designed to be as small as possible to maximize river habitat. Extensive riverbank restoration will look better and also improve the area as a habitat. Stormwater runoff from the new bridge will be treated to improve water quality in the Duwamish Waterway. New stormwater facilities will include an extensive rain garden. The control tower that houses the bridge tender has been designed with energy-efficient features. Regenerative brakes on the bridge drive system will return power to the bridge during bridge operation.
- Will there be art on the new bridge?
Yes. As part of King County's One Percent for Art program, Tucson artist Barbara Grygutis has contributed ideas to the bridge design that honor the historic and cultural integrity of the original 1931 bridge as well as the South Park community as it exists today. Art and components of the old historical bridge will be incorporated into the bridge design, as well as the project site around the bridge. Four rockers and guide tracks from the old bridge, originally hidden from view as they raised the draw span, will flank the approaches to the new bridge. These are the features that qualified the bridge as a historic structure. A pedestrian railing will have curved pickets that open toward the center of the bridge, echoing the motion of the Duwamish waterway underneath. Gears and rail panels from the old bridge will be embedded in the pedestrian rail throughout the span. These elements will be painted metallic silver, and the rockers will be dramatically lit at night. Grygutis was selected by 4Culture, King County’s cultural services office, which administers the county's One Percent for Art program. - How is the art being funded?
In 1973, King County adopted legislation creating the One Percent for Art program, requiring capital construction projects that are “visible, accessible or have a need for mitigation” to set aside one percent of eligible construction costs for the purchase and display of public artwork. By law, these funds cannot be used for other county programs or services.
- What will happen to the dog park?
The "South Park Bark Park" was set up as a temporary dog park, on a site that is now needed by the bridge contractor for construction equipment and materials staging starting March 2012. The site's close proximity to the bridge construction area allows easy access to construction materials and helps keep the bridge project on schedule. As the lead agency for the dog park, the City of Seattle is looking into the feasibility of other sites in South Park. Any new, permanent dog park would need to be approved through an ordinance passed by Seattle's mayor and city council.
- What will happen to the property that the contractor is using for staging when the project is done?
The property just west of the red brick road between Dallas Avenue South and South Orr Street is leased and will be returned to the property owner when the construction project is finished. The rest of the property will be incorporated into the bridge project for riverbank mitigation, the rain garden, the reconfigured roadway intersection, and the bridge itself.
- May I have a piece of the old bridge?
We cannot give away parts of the old bridge, but some parts of the old bridge will be reused as design elements in the new bridge, where they will be available for all to enjoy. Learn more about our efforts to salvage parts from the old bridge.
- Where can I get more information?
- Visit the South Park Bridge website and the South Park Bridge construction project website for information about the progress of the bridge construction project.
- Beginning in mid-March 2011, you can pick up a project brochure or view a display at several locations in South Park: at the project site, South Park Library, Neighborhood Center, Community Center, Information Center, Sea Mar Clinic and Cat Tuong Vietnamese store.
- Contact us at:
Ashley DeForest
Voice: 206-263-9979
TTY Relay: 711
E-mail: ashley.deforest@kingcounty.gov
King County Department of Transportation
201 S. Jackson St., KSC-TR-0824
Seattle, WA 98104-3856
Information on the South Park Bridge website is available to people with disabilities in alternate formats upon request by calling 206-263-6482 or 711 for the TTY relay service. = External link
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