07/23/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/23/2024 13:41
The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will begin construction to repave the South Spokane Street Viaduct between I-5 and the West Seattle Bridge starting as soon as July 29. This work will require multiple weekend closures of all eastbound travel lanes and one weekend closure of the westbound travel lanes. There will also be overnight closures of one or two lanes at a time on weeknights this summer and fall.
[Link]The South Spokane Street Viaduct is the elevated roadway that goes through SoDo to connect the West Seattle Bridge and I-5. This is a different structure from either the West Seattle Bridge or the Spokane St Swing Bridge.
These closures are necessary to repair damaged pavement which is prone to potholes and "alligator skin" cracking. Crews will repave the bridge deck and apply a synthetic polymer sealant to the road surface to help ensure it remains in good condition over time. Crews will also make drainage improvements and bridge deck repairs on the westbound lanes.
[Link][Link]Examples of current road conditions on the eastbound lanes.[Link]Photo from 2019 showing what "alligator skin" cracking looks like.
This work is funded by a $5 million federal grant from the Federal Highway Administration Bridge Improvement Program which is funded in part by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and then passed to the WSDOT's Local Bridge Program.
Most weekend closures will close all of the eastbound lanes. During these closures there will be two detour route options to get from the West Seattle Bridge to I-5:
All westbound lanes will be closed during the weekend of August 30 - September 2. During this closure there will be two options to get from I-5 to West Seattle: