South Park Bridge (Seattle)
Encyclopedia
The South Park Bridge was a Scherzer Rolling Lift double-leaf bascule bridge
, constructed in 1929-31 and closed to traffic on June 30, 2010, due to safety concerns. The South Park Bridge carried automobile traffic over the Duwamish River
near Boeing Field
, just outside the city limits of Seattle, Washington
, USA. It is named for the nearby South Park
neighborhood of Seattle. The bridge is operated by the King County
government. About 20,000 vehicles used the bridge daily, and it was a main connection to South Park's main business district.
The bridge was already in poor condition due to its 75 year age when it was further damaged by the Nisqually earthquake
in 2001. In 2002, King County inspectors gave the bridge a score of 6 out of a possible 100, per Federal Highway Administration criteria, and the rating later fell to as low as 4. This compares to a score of 50 for the I-35W Mississippi River bridge, which collapsed in August 2007.
Due to lack of county, state and federal funding, the South Park Bridge closed on June 30, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. Although plans to build a new bridge were ready, the project did not receive a $99 million federal TIGER I grant in early 2010.
By working with state and local funding partners, King County secured $100 million toward the replacement of the South Park Bridge. In August 2010, the County submitted a grant application for $36.2 million in federal funds from the second round of federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery
(TIGER II) grants. On Oct. 15, 2010, it was announced that the South Park Bridge had been awarded $34 million in TIGER II financing, filling the funding gap and allowing work to replace the bridge to move forward. Construction is expected to last until 2013.
On May 5, 2011 South Park residents celebrated Cinco de Mayo and the groundbreaking on the replacement bridge by building a giant 26-foot long piñata designed to look like the South Park Bridge. King County Executive Dow Constantine, was joined by Gov. Chris Gregoire, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and other dignitaries at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Bascule bridge
A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic....
, constructed in 1929-31 and closed to traffic on June 30, 2010, due to safety concerns. The South Park Bridge carried automobile traffic over the Duwamish River
Duwamish River
The Duwamish River is the name of the lower of Washington state's Green River. Its industrialized estuary is known as the Duwamish Waterway.- History :...
near Boeing Field
Boeing Field
Boeing Field, officially King County International Airport , is a two-runway airport owned and run by King County, Washington, USA. In promotional literature, the airport is frequently referred to as KCIA, but this is not the airport identifier. The airport has some passenger service, but is mostly...
, just outside the city limits of Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, USA. It is named for the nearby South Park
South Park, Seattle, Washington
South Park is a neighborhood in the city of Seattle, in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located just south of Georgetown across the Duwamish River, and just north of the city of Tukwila. Its main thoroughfares are West Marginal Way S. , S. Cloverdale Street and 14th Ave. S...
neighborhood of Seattle. The bridge is operated by the King County
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
government. About 20,000 vehicles used the bridge daily, and it was a main connection to South Park's main business district.
The bridge was already in poor condition due to its 75 year age when it was further damaged by the Nisqually earthquake
Nisqually earthquake
The Nisqually earthquake was an intraslab earthquake, occurring at 10:54 a.m. PST . on February 28, 2001, and was one of the largest recorded earthquakes in Washington state history. The quake measured 6.8 on the MMS and lasted approximately 45 seconds. The epicenter of the earthquake was Anderson...
in 2001. In 2002, King County inspectors gave the bridge a score of 6 out of a possible 100, per Federal Highway Administration criteria, and the rating later fell to as low as 4. This compares to a score of 50 for the I-35W Mississippi River bridge, which collapsed in August 2007.
Due to lack of county, state and federal funding, the South Park Bridge closed on June 30, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. Although plans to build a new bridge were ready, the project did not receive a $99 million federal TIGER I grant in early 2010.
By working with state and local funding partners, King County secured $100 million toward the replacement of the South Park Bridge. In August 2010, the County submitted a grant application for $36.2 million in federal funds from the second round of federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery
Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery
Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery is a supplementary discretionary grant program included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009...
(TIGER II) grants. On Oct. 15, 2010, it was announced that the South Park Bridge had been awarded $34 million in TIGER II financing, filling the funding gap and allowing work to replace the bridge to move forward. Construction is expected to last until 2013.
On May 5, 2011 South Park residents celebrated Cinco de Mayo and the groundbreaking on the replacement bridge by building a giant 26-foot long piñata designed to look like the South Park Bridge. King County Executive Dow Constantine, was joined by Gov. Chris Gregoire, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and other dignitaries at the groundbreaking ceremony.
External links
- South Park Bridge project page
- South Park Bridge closure page
- SOUTH PARK BRIDGE PROJECT Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Section 4(f) Evaluation EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, Washington State Department of Transportation, and King County Department of Transportation, September 2005