Editor’s note: The video above was originally published in November 2020.
SEATTLE - Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s office announced Monday she had helped secure $11.2 million in federal grant money for repairs on the West Seattle Bridge.
“As a West Seattle resident, I know how important it is to our neighbors, businesses, city, port, and regional economy that we quickly and safely repair the West Seattle Bridge,” said Jayapal.
The $11.2 million came from the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America Grant, awarded to the state by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Jayapal’s office said the grant money comes after months of the congresswoman advocating for federal funding to go toward the bridge.
The West Seattle Bridge, which typically carries about 100,000 vehicles per day, was closed in March 2020 when engineers found cracks in the structure had grown significantly in just weeks.
After months of deliberations and various plans being presented to the city, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced the high-rise bridge would be repaired and not replaced, which estimates show would’ve taken until 2026 to complete.
According to the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), electing to repair the bridge instead means it could reopen to traffic as early as mid-2022.
The repairs require stabilization, which was initiated in January 2021, and further rehabilitation work.
The SDOT chose and awarded the construction project to a third-party contractor who will begin work later this year.
The total cost of the repairs is roughly $47 million, with an additional $50 million in traffic mitigation and another $10 million in repairs for the lower bridge.