SEATTLE — The Spokane Street Swing Bridge reopened Friday afternoon after being closed for three weeks for repairs.
The structure, which is also known as the West Seattle Low Bridge, closed Dec. 23 to repair mechanical issues that were exacerbated by power outages during an ice storm. The problem was initially a computer problem that arose when the bridge was powering back up after an outage. Engineers then found minor issues with the hydraulic system had intensified.
The problem impacted the bridge’s ability to open and close as well as alternate vehicle and boat traffic.
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) initially said the closure would be at least two weeks.
During the closure, SDOT built a cradle to remove a damaged 15,000-pound cylinder, repaired an underground conduit, replaced valves and hoses on the eastern bridge span’s hydraulic power unit and reprogrammed the bridge’s movable spans using one less cylinder.
SDOT inspects, maintains or operates almost 280 bridges. In 2020, an audit that analyzed 66 of them found the city was not spending enough on the upkeep and preservation of its bridges and risks becoming out of compliance with federal regulations.
It led city leaders to put millions towards sites like the University Bridge, Ballard Bridge and Spokane Street bridge.
Additional work is planned later this year as part of a rehabilitation program for the Spokane Street bridge. The city recently completed structural rehabilitation work, and this year it plans to improve the control system that opens and closes the bridge, as well as the hydraulic system.