It may be hard to believe, but the West Seattle Bridge is set to reopen to traffic sometime Sunday.
The West Seattle Bridge has been closed for two-and-a-half years after cracks were found in the girders that support the bridge.
Now, after an estimated $94 million repair, excitement is building as the bridge is set to reopen.
There are at least two restaurants planning big parties to celebrate, and all eyes are now on these road signs, which are expected to soon go away.
“Absolutely, I’m so excited,” said Nancy Mondares, West Seattle. “I might be one of those people at 6 a.m. getting on it.”
Getting on it for the first time in two-and-a-half very long years.
“That’s why we came here. We’re kind of celebrating,” said Dave Boneham, Arbor Heights.
He and his wife are loyal customers of the Chelan Cafe, which sits in the shadow of the West Seattle Bridge. Its closure was deeply felt here.
“Our friends here barely were able to survive,” said Boneham. “So we’re really happy to support them all this time, you know. Whatever it takes.”
LaShey Poree said that Jones Barbecue was hit “dramatically” as well.
With the bridge closed, business dropped off overnight. Now they are preparing for a reversal of fortune.
“We are so excited for it to be back open tomorrow,” said Poree, working the register on a Saturday to give the staff a break before the bridge reopening. “So we’re going to be stocked, ready to go. Everybody come to Jones Barbecue.”
An estimated 100,000 vehicles crossed the West Seattle Bridge every day.
But in March of 2020, cracks were discovered in the support girders. As a result, Seattle DOT decided to close it due to fear of a catastrophic failure.
When the bridge opened in 1984, it was hailed as an engineering marvel that could last 75 years. Instead, it didn’t make it to its 36th birthday without showing its age.
Now those who commute are counting down to the reopening.
“It could have happened sooner, but we’re happy,” said a smiling Olivia Tuttle of West Seattle, who described the reopening as “life-changing.”
We still don’t know when that life-changing moment will happen exactly. The bridge could re-open very quietly overnight.
But Seattle DOT assures the public that it will open again, at last.
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