The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) operates and maintains more than 149 bridges across the city. Each bridge provides a key link between our neighborhoods and business districts and helps keep goods and services moving throughout the city.
Seismic work was recently completed on the Ballard Bridge.
Thanks to the voter approved Transportation Levy – Bridging the Gap (BTG) – SDOT’s Bridge Seismic Retrofit Program has making necessary upgrades to minimize movement of the City’s bridges in the event of an earthquake. Work on seven bridges in north, central and south Seattle has been completed. Bridges that have been seismically retrofitted include:
- South Albro Place over Airport Way South Bridge
- Fauntleroy Expressway Bridge
- Ballard Bridge
- King Street Station Bridge Group (Includes four total bridges)
- 2nd Ave Extension S from S Jackson St to 4th Ave S
- 4th Ave S from S Jackson St to Airport Way S
- S Jackson St from 4th Ave S to 5th Ave S
- Airport Way S from 4th Ave S to 5th Ave S
The new jackets pictured on the Ballard Bridge are steel sheaths that encompasses each column and provide reinforcement in the case of seismic activity.
The Ballard Bridge and the King Street Station Bridges were most recently completed. SDOT met and exceeded its BTG goal by finishing these seven projects! This was accomplished thanks to solid project management. Keeping Seattle bridges safe and operating properly is crucial and major credit goes to BTG which has made it possible for SDOT to fulfill this top priority. For information about BTG please visit the web page.