WEST SEATTLE BRIDGE: Repair contractor starts on-site preparations

(WSB photo, Wednesday afternoon)

We went to southeast Admiral on Wednesday afternoon for that look at the 20-months-closed West Seattle Bridge, just in case some work was in view. Turned out not to be much of a viewpoint for that, but today we did get a brief update from SDOT on what its repair contractor is doing:

This week, crews started early site prep in advance of beginning final bridge repairs. Contractor Kraemer North America began loading work shacks and equipment for erosion control onto the high bridge to be ready for construction work.

The next activities you can expect to hear more about are hydro-blasting to create access for work platforms, as well as more details about those work platforms being assembled and transported to the bridge.

Last week SDOT told the WS Bridge Community Task Force that it was very close to finalizing the “maximum allowable construction cost” contract with Kraemer NA. But that hadn’t happened yet when we checked earlier this week.

TM November 18, 2021 (9:48 pm)

Thank God! Good luck team, and godspeed

Hopeful November 19, 2021 (6:17 am)

At the Nov. 15th CTF meeting, SDOT was very clear “MACC negotiations are complete” (slide 8 @ 9:40). So why isn’t the contract signed and Notice to Proceed issued?

Curious that the contractor apparently started work without NTP.

Today, Nov 19th, is the one-year anniversary of the mayor’s decision to repair vs replace.

zark00 November 19, 2021 (9:37 am)

wow, I can’t believe it’s been a full year since the repair decision. All involved parties have done, maybe, 3 months worth of work in that year.

Lucy November 19, 2021 (8:49 am)

I certainly hope that any other maintenance work that needs to be done is also planned to be completed before the bridge reopens. Like striping, paving, cleaning, all concrete barriers…. it would be a shame if we had multiple lane closures to accommodate work after it reopens because it wasn’t addressed now.

eric November 19, 2021 (9:06 am)

yeah, and could they smooth it out a little better? It feels kinda bumpy when driving. I have some other repair requests too, but they can wait for now. :)

luke n zankich November 20, 2021 (12:04 pm)

They can’t even figure out how to keep the elevated Spokane St. from coming apart. I doubt they can properly fix anything. It’ll get half way done and they will want another chunk of cash. I say if you can’t prove yourself by permanently fixing Spokane St. Then you have no business working on the actual bridge.

Sunny.206 November 19, 2021 (11:20 am)

You are all assuming the bridge will open in the same lane configuration it was before, but I would bet a weeks worth of lunches that it won’t.

John Alfers November 19, 2021 (10:22 pm)

And further more, are they waiting behind closed doors before they inform us that our coveted West Seattle Bridge we’ve all been so proud of will become a Toll-Bridge?

KT November 19, 2021 (12:57 pm)

Twenty months since they closed the bridge, twelve months since they decided to repair, and the beginning of final repairs are still not underway.

Mike November 19, 2021 (4:52 pm)

If you put the government in charge of the Sahara desert in 5 years there would be a shortage of sand!
- bolo November 19, 2021 (6:38 pm)
  
  Milton Friedman quote?
  Actually there is a shortage of sand, especially in the Sahara Desert area:
  
  https://www.zmescience.com/ecology/environmental-issues/hidden-shortage-world-running-low-sand/

Hopeful November 19, 2021 (1:31 pm)

What if it was this fast?https://youtu.be/btOE0rcKDC0

1994 November 19, 2021 (10:14 pm)

June 2022??? Can we count on it opening by then??? I am sure so many WS residents are looking forward to the bridge opening so local street traffic can simmer down.

BC November 20, 2021 (10:55 am)

I certainly hope so. What took them so long to get started?

Scott Hitchcock November 22, 2021 (9:19 pm)

The Empire state building took 2 weeks to design, excavation began in February 1930, with the building complete and open on May 1, 1931. Approximately 15 months start to finish. West Seattle Bridge closed March 2020 and may be repaired and open somewhere around summer 2022, after 27-30 months. With all of our fancy computers, modern construction equipment, etc. it takes a year more to repair the West Seattle Bridge than to build the Empire State Building. The length of the bridge and height of the building are about the same, with the building being much more complex. What’s wrong with this picture?

Sorry, comment time is over.