|
 |
City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
|
NEWS ADVISORY
|
| SUBJECT: Fremont Bridge: All Lanes Open Tomorrow
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
5/17/2007 12:35:00 PM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Richard Sheridan (206) 684-8540
|
Fremont Bridge: All Lanes Open Tomorrow
(Seattle) - The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will open all lanes over the historic Fremont Bridge to traffic by tomorrow afternoon, after crews have completed several final tasks. The lane openings come in time for the busy summer season traditionally kicked off by the Memorial Day weekend.
The bridge is already open again to large trucks. King County Metro plans to resume its routes over the bridge on June 2, which is the date for system-wide transit schedule changes.
The city has appreciated the patience local businesses have shown during the past year. SDOT contractors have replaced both bridge approaches, which required restricting traffic to one lane in each direction. The bridge approaches were nearly 90 years old, and had outlived their useful structural life.
SDOT contractors will continue to upgrade the bridge’s internal mechanical and electrical systems. The work will require construction crews to occasionally close the bridge at night and during weekends through the summer of 2008. The bridge will remain open to marine traffic, although bridge operators may only open one leaf for passage.
The Burke Gilman Trail section under the bridge’s north end (now rerouted to N 34th Street) will open in July, with occasional delays for construction through spring 2008. The Ship Canal Trail under the bridge’s south end will open sometime this summer.
SDOT worked with community businesses and organizations throughout the project to reduce construction impacts. Prior to construction, SDOT also installed new traffic signals near the bridge to minimize traffic delays.
The Fremont Bridge was originally built in 1917, and is the most frequently opened bridge on the Lake Washington Ship Canal.
Note: The Fremont Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic, but open to pedestrians and bicyclists, from tonight (Thursday) at 9 p.m. to tomorrow at 6 a.m. During this time the contractor will repair expansion joints.
The Seattle Department of Transportation builds, maintains and operates Seattle's $8 billion transportation infrastructure. To further Mayor Nickels’ goal to get Seattle moving, the department manages short- and long-term investments in streets, bridges, pavement and trees, that better connect the city with the region.
|
Back
to News Release Home Page and News Release Search
|
|
