KIRKLAND, Wash. — Bridge preservation crews working for the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) recently discovered damage to the N.E 80th Street pedestrian overpass at I-405 in Kirkland.
It appears the damage was caused by an over-height vehicle striking the bridge, according to preservation crews. WSDOT has decided to close the pedestrian bridge indefinitely while engineers inspect the damage and determine next steps.
Those who walk, bike, or roll over I-405 using the pedestrian bridge at N.E. 80th Street at milepost 17 will need to find alternate routes due to an emergency closure of the pedestrian overpass.
The last time this pedestrian bridge had a significant strike was December 4, 2005, when an excavator clipped it. The damage was minimal, and the bridge was closed for a few hours for repairs.
The N.E. 80th Street pedestrian overpass is a steel arch bridge that was built in 1970. The lowest clearance of the bridge is 15 feet, 6 inches, and the tallest clearance is 17 feet, 9 inches, depending on the lane of travel.
This story was originally published on mynorthwest.com.