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Editor’s Note: This is a blog post from the Waterfront Seattle Program. The Waterfront Seattle Program is a collaboration between the Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects and other Seattle departments including the Mayor’s Office, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), Planning and Community Development, and Parks and Recreation.
Update (Dec. 20, 2023):
The Marion Street Pedestrian Bridge opened on November 10, 2023. Some aspects of the bridge remain in a temporary condition, so you can expect to see some temporary railing and construction safety devices as we continue to install permanent railing, complete finishing touches, and remove the temporary bridge columns.
Update (Nov. 6, 2023):
Due to harsh weather over the weekend and some technical challenges, the bridge will not be opening today, November 6.
The Marion Street Pedestrian Bridge opening is delayed. It was originally planned to open at 6 AM on Monday, November 6, but due to harsh weather over the weekend and some technical challenges, the new pedestrian bridge will now open before the end of the week. Over the weekend, all seven spans of the temporary bridge were removed and the connection to Colman Dock was installed.
The Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects is working through the technical details and expects to have more information in the coming days.
For more information, see our updated construction flyer.
To stay up to date on the bridge opening, we encourage you to visit our website or follow Waterfront Seattle on X (Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.
The City of Seattle, in funding partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), is ready to open the new Marion Street Pedestrian Bridge over Alaskan Way. The bridge is a direct connection between 1st Ave and the newly rebuilt Colman Dock Ferry Terminal on Marion St. Some minor work remains on the new bridge, as well as work to remove the temporary bridge through early 2024.
The City of Seattle’s Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects is wrapping up construction of the Marion Street Pedestrian Bridge. Following removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct in 2019, a temporary bridge was installed to carry foot traffic from Colman Dock to 1st Ave. The Marion Street Pedestrian Bridge carried an estimated 5 million people each year before the removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct, making it one of the busiest pedestrian crossings on the western seaboard.
Temporary pedestrian bridge closure
Starting this Friday, November 3 at 6 PM, the temporary pedestrian bridge will close for the removal of the temporary structure. There will be no bridge connection to Colman Dock from 1st Ave from Friday, November 3 at 6 PM through Monday, November 6 at 6 AM.
During the bridge closure, walk-on ferry passengers should use Colman Dock’s pedestrian path and ADA-accessible path when traveling between 1st Ave or Alaskan Way and Colman Dock. Ferry passengers who are entering or exiting Colman dock on foot during this weekend’s bridge closure must use one of the three stairways, located at the south, central, and north areas of the new entry building along Alaskan Way. Passengers may also use one of two elevator banks to access the upper-level ticketing area and passenger building. One elevator is located at the entry building on Alaskan Way and the other is adjacent to the Passenger Only Ferry where the King County Water Taxi and Kitsap Fast Ferry terminal are located. Pedestrian paths crossing Alaskan Way will be maintained during the weekend closures. Flaggers will be on-site to assist with traffic management and pedestrian access.
Opening the new, improved bridge
The new Marion Street Pedestrian Bridge is planned to be open by 6 AM on Monday, November 6, restoring full pedestrian access via the new bridge.
“The opening of the new Marion Street Pedestrian Bridge marks an important milestone in improving connectivity between Colman Dock, Waterfront Park, and downtown Seattle. The bridge provides a pleasant, safe, and accessible pedestrian experience while also providing the perfect location to view ongoing construction of our new world-class Waterfront Park. We are excited to be able to share yet another impressive Waterfront Park project with the public,” – Angela Brady, Director of the Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects
The new bridge is made of cast-in-place concrete and is post-tensioned to span over Alaskan Way without the need for any median supports. The new bridge provides a 16-foot-wide space for people walking and rolling, three feet wider than the previous bridge. It also connects the elevated passenger concourse at Colman Dock to the existing bridge east of Western Ave. New lighting is included on and under the structure, helping guide pedestrians at all times of the day.
Remaining work: removal of the temporary bridge over Alaskan Way
Removal of the temporary bridge, and the ongoing installation of finishing touches on the new bridge, are expected to continue into early 2024 and will require some lane closures on Alaskan Way, Columbia St, and Western Ave. To stay up to date on impacts, we encourage you to sign up for our weekly construction emails.
The Marion Street Pedestrian Bridge is one of Waterfront Seattle’s key east-west street connection improvement projects. These projects aim to strengthen and improve connections between downtown Seattle and the waterfront. Each of these east-west streets has a unique character, connecting different neighborhoods and opening them up to the new waterfront. The rebuilt Marion Street Pedestrian Bridge will enhance the travel experience connecting downtown Seattle and our new Waterfront Park to communities all around Elliott Bay by way of Washington State Ferries’ newly rebuilt Colman Dock terminal.
To stay up to date everything waterfront, we encourage you to visit our website or follow Waterfront Seattle on X (Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.
Learn more:
- Contact the Waterfront Seattle team at: info@waterfrontseattle.org or (206) 499-8040
- Visit the projects webpage: https://waterfrontseattle.org/waterfront-projects/marion-street-bridge
- Sign up for email updates