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March 2, 2001 3:15 p.m. Earthquake update Road and sewer retrofits pay off for King County King County’s program to retrofit its major transportation and wastewater facilities to meet earthquake standards has paid off with the lack of major damage stemming from this week’s quake. King County is halfway through a 14-year, $14.7-million bridge retrofit program, with work completed on about 70 of the highest-priority, most vulnerable of the county’s 140 bridges. “We targeted our work to a standard that ensures roads and bridges can be returned to service quickly,” said Jim Markus, supervising engineer of King County’s bridge unit. “I’m pleased that those bridges we retrofitted performed very well, especially since this a county that doesn’t have a lot of redundant routes in the unincorporated areas.” Among the bridges for which earthquake retrofitting may have prevented major damage are: South Twin Bridge, Neeley Bridge, West Kenmore Bridge, East Kenmore Bridge, Patton Bridge, Cedar Grove Bridge, Mt. Si Bridge, Stossel Bridge, Hidden Lake Bridge, Duvall Slough Bridge, Stossel Creek Bridge, Money Creek Bridge, Peter Western Bridge, Cherry Valley Bridge, Brissack Bridge, Cherry Creek Bridge, Judd Creek Bridge, Ames Lake Bridge, Inglewood Bridge, four bridges on the Woodinville-Duvall Road, NE 124thStreet Bridge, Kanaskat Arch Bridge, and Preston Frontage Road Bridge. Two King County bridges need repairs: » The Tolt River Bridge near Carnation is one of older design and construction with a concrete roadway on top of timber support piles. It was not retrofitted because it is scheduled for replacement within the next five years. The bridge was already closed through Tuesday for timber repair; the quake damaged the concrete and that repair work will be piggybacked on top of the timber work. There is no estimate yet for completion. For detour routes motorists should use SR-202 through Fall City, SR-203 and West Snoqualmie River Road. » The South Park Bridge is conditionally open while assessment work begins to determine how to repair quake damage. Bridge engineers estimate an additional 40 aging bridges will need replacing over the next 20 years. Before its merger with King County, the old Metro wastewater treatment division began a five-year program to retrofit the pipes, equipment and buildings in the sewage treatment system. As a result, the county’s wastewater treatment was fully operational after the quake. “No pipes broke. There was no spill or overflow. We didn’t spill a drop of sewage,” said Alan Alston, safety specialist and emergency planner for the Wastewater Treatment Division of the King County Department of Natural Resources. For regional news, go to www.govlink.org/news Executive's e-mail King County | Executive | News | Services | Comments | Search Links to external sites do not
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