TUKWILA, Wash. — The 42nd Avenue S Bridge in Tukwila’s Allentown neighborhood could be closed through January, if not longer, for repairs after an over-height semi-truck struck the bridge and lost its load on Dec. 15.
The city immediately closed the bridge, which was already in bad shape due to age and degradation, and sought the help of King County inspectors to assess the damage the day after the crash.
The city said that the semi-truck hit one of the sway frames of the bridge and caused critical damage to the other elements of the structure.
Following the inspection, Tukwila reached out to local steel strengthening company Flame On, Inc., who expressed confidence the steel components of the bridge that had been damaged could be bent back in place and repaired.
According to a city spokesperson, the repairs could take four to six weeks, but the city’s contract with Flame On gives the company until March 1 to complete the project.
The contract states work was to begin on Monday, Dec. 21.
King County’s inspectors advised the city to keep the bridge closed during any repairs and further assessments. Once repairs are complete, the city plans to perform a new load rating to ensure the steel is back to full strength.
Tukwila Mayor Allen Ekberg issued a state of emergency to help expedite the repair process and allow the city to more easily obtain the contracts necessary to repair the bridge.
The total cost of the repairs is estimated at just over $220,000. City staff expects the full amount to be paid for by the semi-truck driver’s insurance company.
While the bridge is closed, semi-truck traffic should reroute to the Steel Mill Bridge and residential traffic should use S. 115th Street.
Tukwila is already in the design process to replace the 280-foot-long bridge, which was built in 1949 and currently has a sufficiency rating of 7.56 out of 100.
The Federal Highway Authority considers the 42nd Avenue S Bridge to be “structurally deficient” and “functionally obsolete.”
Some ongoing issues with the bridge that call for its replacement include loss of shoreline protection, concrete cracking at the north pier, frozen bridge bearings, corrosion and pack rust.