Aerial photo of the Magnolia Bridge, looking west. Photo: SDOT. Blog stats: 550 words | 3-minute read
UPDATE (December 23, 2023 at 1:45pm): The eastbound Magnolia Bridge is back open, sooner than expected! We have completed work on the necessary repairs. There is a temporary detour of 50 feet of sidewalk expected to be in place through Tuesday, 12/26, as we complete all necessary inspections.
At-a-Glance:
- We are temporarily closing all eastbound travel lanes on the Magnolia Bridge to complete necessary bridge repair work starting on Saturday, December 23 at 7:00 a.m.
- We expect the work to take 2 to 3 days to complete.
- Eastbound travelers will need to take alternate routes to leave Magnolia, such as W Dravus St.
- Westbound travel lanes on the Magnolia Bridge will remain open.
- We’re working with King County Metro to coordinate any necessary bus detours for routes 24 and 33.
- Palisade, Maggie Bluffs, the Elliott Bay Marina in Magnolia, and other businesses in the area will be accessible.
- Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to complete this work safely and as quickly as possible.
We’re closing all eastbound travel lanes on the Magnolia Bridge starting on Saturday, December 23 at 7:00 a.m., with work expected to take 2 to 3 days. Westbound lanes will remain open during this time.
Our crews need to conduct repairs to a segment of sidewalk on the bridge where concrete had fallen off. We are using long reach booms (aerial lifts allowing access to the underside of the bridge), a 10-ton crane, and flatbed trucks to complete the repair work.
We recognize the timing of this work is challenging around the holidays and with your plans to see family and friends. However, we appreciate your understanding as we complete this necessary repair work safely and as quickly as possible.
Transit detours
We’re working with King County Metro to coordinate any necessary bus detours for routes 24 and 33, which use the Magnolia Bridge. We encourage you to sign up for Metro’s Transit Alerts to find the latest transit updates or visit Metro’s Service Advisories web page.
Access for people walking, biking, and rolling
The sidewalk on the south side of the bridge will be closed as part of the eastbound bridge closure to facilitate the repair work. A temporary pathway was created around the closed segment of sidewalk earlier this week to remove the damaged concrete and divert pedestrians away from the damaged segment of sidewalk.
How to stay informed
For the latest information about this work, please follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @seattledot.
Photos of work so far
Crews have already been working this week to advance the bridge repairs. The two photos below were taken on December 18. The top photo shows crews setting up to remove the damaged concrete.
Maintaining and preserving our bridge assets
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) owns 125 bridges and nearly 1,500 roadway structures like retaining walls, stairways, and underground support walls. All of these structures require ongoing maintenance, inspections, monitoring, and preservation to remain safe and operational. We are committed to continuing the comprehensive and proactive asset preservation program that maximizes the life of our critical infrastructure so we can count on them to remain in good condition.
Ongoing maintenance and inspections of the Magnolia Bridge continue in coordination with the Port of Seattle. We perform regular maintenance, frequent inspections, and 24-hour monitoring to ensure the Magnolia Bridge remains operational.