(SDOT photo)

Two months ago, SDOT said its contractor had about two months of earthquake-safety work left on the SW Andover walking/biking bridge over the west end of the West Seattle Bridge. So is it almost done? No. The department sent an update today saying completion is delayed because of the ongoing concrete strike:

This project, and several others, have had to pause concrete paving work until the strike is resolved. This is a challenge, and we support a fair resolution among the parties. In the meantime, we’re continuing other project work at the site and behind the scenes and will be sure to share more about the strike outcome and any impacts to this project as information becomes available. We remain hopeful that this issue will be resolved soon and that we can continue making even more progress delivering projects for our Seattle communities.

The concrete strike’s been under way for two months, so we asked SDOT how much time this project has lost, and which others are affected. We’re still waiting for those answers. The bridge has been closed since two months before the work began, after a sudden shutdown blamed on trespassing concerns.

(WSB photo – Sylvan Way, this afternoon)

One more post-snow problem – more potholes. So we asked SDOT about what’s planned and what to do if you notice new/renewed potholes. The email reply from SDOT’s Mariam Ali:

SDOT crews work year round to fill potholes, and filled over 14,000 potholes in 2021. But winter storms cause substantial damage to our roads and cause previously filled potholes to reappear throughout Seattle. We are expecting to receive a surge of requests to fill potholes in the coming weeks, and ask for the public’s patience as it will take us longer than usual to respond as our crews continue to work day and night to respond to a large number of storm-related issues.

Last year, we filled 85% of potholes within three business days after they are reported to us, however, with the recent snow and ice this may take longer than usual. The crew members who fill potholes are the same people who have been working day and night for the past 12 days on storm-response activities like driving snow plows and shoveling walkways. We’re still working incredibly hard to deal with multiple challenges and are prioritize our work based on public safety.

Snow and ice causes damage to our roadways as water finds its way into cracks in the pavement. Freezing temperatures causes the trapped water to expand into sharp ice which cuts through the pavement and forces apart fissions in the roadway. When heavy vehicles like trucks and buses drive over these fissures, pieces of pavement break loose and form larger holes.

The weather will continue to be a big challenge all winter long, as future storms may cause more potholes to form. Repairs that we make in weather like this don’t always last because the asphalt won’t bind to the surrounding pavement well when it’s too cold or wet. So many of the potholes we fill today will likely need to be repaired again over the next few months until the weather is warmer. 

New potholes appear all the time, and we can only fix potholes that we know about. If you see a pothole, report it on the report it on the FindIt FixIt App, submit an online report, email 684-ROAD@seattle.gov or call us at 206-684-ROAD [7623]. To learn more about where potholes have been reported and filled, check out our interactive Pothole Repair Status map. This map shows the locations of all the potholes which have been filled in the past 90 days (one dot may represent up to 30 potholes on a single block):

That’s the Admiral Way bridge over Fairmount Ravine, always festively (and mysteriously) decked in bows this time of year. This time next year, though, it might be decked in construction equipment. Earlier this month, a reader noticed what appeared to be an official-looking team assessing the bridge, and wondered if its earthquake-safety work were imminent. We checked with SDOT, whose spokesperson Ethan Bergerson replied: “The SW Admiral Way Bridge is planned to receive an earthquake-safety upgrade as part of the Levy to Move Seattle. Two members of our bridge team visited the site to view the vegetation around the bridge and get a closer look at the bridge in order to scope painting needs. This project is currently in the design phase, and we expect to reach the construction phase in late 2022 or in 2023.” The other Admiral Way bridge is in line for a seismic retrofit too.

Updates on two stretches of “Stay Healthy Streets” in West Seattle:

PUGET RIDGE/HIGHLAND PARK: SDOT announced today that they’re removing some sections and continuing to evaluate the SW Trenton section that’s drawn the loudest community clamor for change:

… We are using the (recent) community outreach to develop the permanent route of the Stay Healthy Street. We expect to share the permanent route map in early 2022. The earliest the permanent features (like the updated street closed signs) would be built is summer 2022.

(Before then) We will be removing the below sections of the Stay Healthy Street near Sanislo Elementary. The sections are also shown in the map (above).

21st Ave SW from Croft Pl SW to SW Myrtle St
SW Myrtle St from 21st Ave SW to 18th Ave SW
18th Ave SW from SW Myrtle St to SW Webster St
SW Webster St from 18th Ave SW to 16th Ave SW

These sections were proposed for removal in our recent outreach. … We also heard from people living near these sections and from parents driving or walking students to school that they were not supportive of keeping the sections near Sanislo Elementary. Community members said the streets are already narrow in this area, making it more difficult to safely navigate around the signs and people using the Stay Healthy Street. Student pick-up and drop-off near the elementary school had also become more difficult because of the additional street closed signs on already narrow streets.

Collecting traffic and speed data on SW Trenton St: In our recent outreach, we proposed keeping the Stay Healthy Street section on SW Trenton St from 11th Ave SW to 17th Ave SW. This is because our initial data collection showed fewer people driving on the SW Trenton St section and slower speeds of people who are driving on the street. Additionally, we heard community support for a connection and extra space for walking and biking to destinations in the Highland Park neighborhood.

We heard in our recent outreach that people like to drive on SW Trenton St instead of driving on adjacent arterial streets, like SW Henderson St which is designed to handle more vehicle traffic. Specifically, people driving like to use SW Trenton St from 16th Ave SW to 17th Ave SW to drive to Delridge Way SW and other locations west, like the West Seattle Junction area. We also heard that we needed to better understand the traffic volumes and speeds of people driving on this section of SW Trenton St, in particular between 16th Ave SW and 17th Ave SW.

Before making a decision on keeping or removing the SW Trenton St section, we are collecting and evaluating data along the street, as well as considering the additional community input we’ve received this fall.

There’s more on the SDOT website.

ALKI POINT ‘KEEP MOVING’ STREET SURVEY: SDOT is still asking for input on “permanent design” options for the stretch around Alki Point. This survey will close on December 21st (one week from tomorrow); you can also email your thoughts to AlkiKeepMovingStreet@seattle.gov. (We reported on the proposed options in September.)

Thanks to the commenter who mentioned this: The new crossing signal by the Duwamish Longhouse on West Marginal Way has been activated, after the accompanying crosswalk was painted a few days ago. We asked SDOT for confirmation; spokesperson Ethan Bergerson says, “The signal was turned on yesterday and is operational, but there are still a few adjustments that need to be finished today. One of these items is connecting the push buttons, so we temporarily programmed the signal to display a walk signal automatically until that has been completed.” The signal technically is “temporary” – the permanent one is being designed and is expected to be installed next year. The Duwamish Tribe and community advocates had long pushed for safety improvements here, not just for people parking on the east side of WMW for Longhouse events, but also for better access to the riverfront park, which has major cultural significance.

(SDOT photos)

Three months after SDOT closed the Andover bicycle/pedestrian bridge over the west end of the West Seattle Bridge, they’re one month into construction of its retrofit, with two months to go. Here’s the update we just received:

We began construction in mid-October on the SW Andover St Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project and are on schedule to complete construction in the next two months.

The SW Andover St Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge is a vital pedestrian connection between the Youngstown and Genesee neighborhoods. The bridge was built in 1961, prior to the modernization of the seismic design code. This project will strengthen key bridge components to better withstand seismic events like earthquakes.

What’s happening now?

We’re installing new bridge expansion joints, which allow the concrete to naturally expand and contract without cracking. The bridge deck was originally supported by three joints that were not adequately connected to each other to withstand an earthquake. The bridge will be fused together with steel plates, additional rebar, and concrete to improve its resilience to earthquakes.

We’re also strengthening the east side of the bridge where it is secured to the ground. Four long steel rods, called ground anchors, will be installed 40 feet deep into the ground to support this side of the bridge. These improvements will make the bridge stronger and safer in the event of an earthquake.

We are on schedule to complete the work in the next two months. As soon as construction is done, we’ll open the bridge for use again.

Cost of the project is estimated at $1.9 million.