The West Seattle Bridge, a key artery for car commuters in Seattle, has been closed since March, and the city has begun to consider a broad array of options for repairing or replacing the span.
Seattle officials "have broadened their West Seattle Bridge replacement process to consider a shallow tunnel in addition to more traditional bridge options expected from big engineering companies," according to an article by Mike Lindblom.
"The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) may also shift $2 million in federal money toward initial planning for a new corridor, instead of using that cash for downtown programs, such as commute-reduction incentives," according to Lindblom.
"The city is racing to reinforce the 36-year-old bridge, which was closed March 23 due to rapidly expanding shear cracks in the massive concrete girders," reports Lindblom. "The structure, the busiest city-owned span, might collapse unless braced soon."
As detailed in the article, the proposed for a tunnel replacement for the West Seattle Bridge where it crosses the Duwamish Waterway south of Downtown Seattle would use an entirely different construction process than the tunnel boring process that delayed the completion of the city's new Highway 99 tunnel by several years before finally opening in 2019.
The idea's champion, Bob Ortblad, published the idea in a separate article for the weekly West Seattle newspaper.
FULL STORY: SDOT says a shallow tunnel could be an option to replace the cracked West Seattle Bridge
Scrambling to Replace the Heavily Used West Seattle Bridge
The West Seattle High-Rise Bridge Safety Project is in high gear, more than six months after the city's most heavily trafficked bridge was closed suddenly for safety risks.
Two Bridges Across the Ohio River in Cincinnati Closed on the Same Day
Two of the transportation connections between Ohio and Kentucky in the Cincinnati metropolitan area were closed on the same day, leaving one side of the Ohio River cut off from the other.
Seattle Mayor Raises Transportation Levy by $100 Million
The proposal sent to City Council includes more funding for multimodal transportation and road safety.
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Analysis: Cybertruck Fatality Rate Far Exceeds That of Ford Pinto
The Tesla Cybertruck was recalled seven times last year.
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service