The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) has selected a contractor to replace the cracked West Seattle Bridge.
SDOT announced that infrastructure solutions firm HNTB Corporations will lead the replacement plan.
"This work will be needed regardless of whether the City decides to repair or replace the bridge as a next step," SDOT said in a statement.
HNTB has worked on other major projects around Washington, including the SR 99 tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct, a third runway at Sea-Tac International Airport and a new span of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
“The first step is selecting the right solution," said Kevin Collins, PE, HNTB Seattle office leader and vice president. "HNTB and our partner firms are committed to working with SDOT, the Community Task Force, and Technical Advisory Panel to help the City develop, evaluate, and advance alternatives to quickly restore mobility in this corridor and alleviate the impacts of the bridge closure on our underserved neighborhoods and regional economy."
SDOT has not yet announced if the bridge will be repaired for a shorter term reopening or replaced altogether, but said in a statement, "Designing a replacement will be necessary even if we decide to repair the bridge first and reopen it for some time. The bridge will eventually need to be replaced."
