EVERETT, Wash. — Construction on the Edgewater Creek Bridge in Everett is expected to begin in late October, closing a portion of West Mukilteo Boulevard for about a year.
During the closure, crews will build a new bridge, replacing the current one that’s 78 years old and could fail in an earthquake.
West Mukilteo Boulevard will be closed between Shore Avenue and Mukilteo Lane/LaMar Drive.
Drivers could face a traffic headache while navigating the detour routes on Mukilteo Speedway, state Route 526 and Merrill Creek Parkway. Using the detour routes suggested, the city estimates travel times could increase by over 50% during peak travel times for about half of the common routes impacted. This equates to as much as 20 extra minutes of travel time for some routes, according to an analysis from Gibson Traffic Consultants.
School bus routes will also be detoured.
“We acknowledge this will be a challenging traffic revision for a lot of people, and we want to make sure everyone is as prepared as possible and that they aren’t taken by surprise,” Everett Public Works Principal Engineer Dan Enrico said in a statement.
The city said there isn’t an economically feasible way to keep the bridge partially open during construction.
Once the new bridge reopens to traffic, construction will continue into early 2026 as crews work on paving, landscaping and installing wiring.
The bridge replacement is expected to cost $34 million, about $28 million of which is covered through federal grant funding. The new bridge will have the same number of travel lanes, plus bike lanes and wider sidewalks.
The contractor will place portable messaging signs near the road closure about a week before the closure begins, the city said.