Imagine being a hydraulic ram. You push tons of concrete. That’s the Spokane Street Bridge. It’s quite a sight.
Hello everyone. I am excited to share the story of the Spokane Street Bridge. It’s also known as the West Seattle Low-Level Bridge. This concrete double-leaf swing bridge connects Harbor Island to West Seattle.
The Spokane Street Bridge has two separate end-to-end swing-span sections. Each is 480 feet long. Construction finished in 1991. It replaced an earlier bridge destroyed by a collision. The bridge is named after Spokane Street. Spokane Street got its name from Spokane, Washington. And Spokane, Washington is named after the Spokane people.
Each 7,500-short-ton leaf floats on hydraulic oil. It sits in center piers on each side of the river. The steel barrel is 100 inches. Both leaves rotate only 45 degrees. It clears the shipping channel. Most swing spans turn 90 degrees. The Spokane Street Bridge intersects the river at an oblique angle. It’s claimed to be the only bridge of its kind in the world.
The Spokane Street Bridge received awards for innovation. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave it the Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award in 1992. The bridge typically opens 1,500 times a year for river traffic. The Discovery Channel featured it on “Really Big Things” in 2007.
The prior bridge was the West Spokane Street Bridge. It opened in 1924. A second bridge augmented it in 1930. Bond propositions were offered to replace the bridges in 1968 and 1970. These propositions did not receive approval. A 1978 freighter collision with the 1924 bridge exacerbated the need to replace it. Federal funding was then secured.
The West Seattle Bridge opened in 1984. It carried most traffic previously handled by the old West Spokane Street Bridge. The lower Spokane Street Bridge opened in 1991. It serves local traffic to Harbor Island.
The high-rise bridge closed in March 2020. Rapid growth of cracks on its underside caused this. The Spokane Street Bridge became the main route to West Seattle. The lower bridge was restricted to transit and freight. Emergency vehicles and longshore workers could use it. Police patrolled it. General traffic was allowed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting in late June.
Automatic ticketing cameras were installed in January 2021. They issued 5,300 tickets in the first weeks of February. The high-rise bridge reopened on September 17, 2022. Restrictions on the Spokane Street Bridge ended at the same time.
SDOT began repairs in mid-2022. They reinforced the swing span with epoxy and carbon fiber. This was similar to work on the high-rise bridge. Upgrades to hydraulic systems are planned. Also, upgrades to computers and communication lines will happen in 2023.
The bridge closed on December 23, 2022. It failed to close properly during a major ice storm. Crews discovered damage to the position sensor and hydraulic seal. This prompted a longer closure. It reopened on January 13, 2023. Repairs took three weeks. A temporary bicycle lane was installed in SODO. This mitigated the bridge’s closure.
The bridge closed for four days in October 2023. This was to repair and reinstall the hydraulic cylinder in the eastern tower. The cylinder had been removed in January.
So, as you cross the Spokane Street Bridge, remember its unique design. Think about its history. Appreciate the engineering marvel beneath your feet. The Spokane Street Bridge stands as a testament to Seattle’s innovation.