As the Spokane St Swing Bridge, also known to locals as the West Seattle Low Bridge, continues to undergo repairs from the recent car crash, the city of Seattle has made provisional arrangements for cyclists and pedestrians. While vehicles are still prohibited from using the bridge, those traveling on foot or by bike can now traverse once again, signaling a partial reopening amidst ongoing work. After the incident on September 14, which left the bridge's crucial mechanisms damaged, initial repairs have been expedited to restore at least some functionality to the important passage. The news comes from the Seattle Department of Transportation's latest release.
The crash, which took place approximately at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, has resulted in significant damage to the bridge's infrastructure, including the mechanical gate and lock mechanism. According to the Seattle Department of Transportation's blog, the impact also affected the gate control panel and essential sensors. As technicians labor to assess and reconstruct, the bridge is slated to remain closed to vehicular traffic for several more days. In the meantime, a detour via the West Seattle High-Rise bridge has been suggested, ensuring continuity in the daily commutes across the Duwamish Waterway.
For Harbor Island access, vehicles can still make their way from the east through the SODO neighborhood via S Spokane St. Despite closure to cars and trucks, repairs have allowed ships to request bridge openings, as the functionality for maritime operations has been successfully reinstated. The SDOT crew's swift progress in emergency repairs has enabled such partial resumption of the bridge's duties, and effort continues to be directed toward a more exact reopening timeline for all traffic.
Pedestrian and bicycle lanes opened up late yesterday afternoon, as the pedestrian signals disagree with the actual state of the bridge. They display a "don't walk" signal, even when it is safe to cross, "This is due to damaged sensors in the vehicle gate," explains the SDOT blog post. Engineers are diligently working to rectify this issue, but until then, cyclists and pedestrians can be assured that even if the signal reads contrary, they can cross safely when the pedestrian gates are open and there are no flashing lights or warning bells indicating otherwise.
