SEATTLE — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
This is not what drivers wanted to hear: All northbound lanes of the 1st Avenue S. Bridge will remain closed through at least Friday.
The damage to the bridge deck is more severe than engineers expected. Emergency repairs to the deck began on Monday. Workers are installing steel plates over the damaged sections of the bridge, after a routine inspection found the damage.
The Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) hopes to have the lanes open by 11:59 p.m. Friday. The lanes were originally expected to open late Wednesday.
“The second phase of work begins in mid-to-late April, when contractor crews working for WSDOT will replace the worst of the failing panels before summer,” WSDOT stated. “The third phase of this work is a full replacement of the northbound bridge deck, and construction is expected in 2027.”
The closure created a three-mile backup on SR 509 approaching the bridge on Monday. By Tuesday morning’s commute, drivers had found other ways around. Most of them ended up on the northbound I-5, creating a longer-than-normal drive up that corridor. Drivers should expect similar commutes through the end of the week.
Chris Sullivan is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here. Follow KIRO Newsradio traffic on X.
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