King County hosts open house to discuss options
for improving South Park Bridge

The King County Department of Transportation will host an open house from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19 at Concord Elementary School to familiarize residents with options for rehabilitating or replacing the aging South Park Bridge over the Duwamish River.

The county has been working closely with a citizen advisory group and a variety of regulatory agencies over the past few months to narrow a broad list of potential alternatives for improving the 70-year old structure. During the open house, county staff will outline a refined list of five project alternatives that will continue to be reviewed as part of an ongoing Environmental Impact Study (EIS).

The condition of the South Park Bridge has severely deteriorated in recent years. The structural integrity of the bridge was made worse during the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake. The EIS process will allow a decision to be made regarding the future of the South Park Bridge. The bridge carries approximately 20,000 vehicles a day across the Duwamish River, and has a drawbridge that opens to accommodate marine traffic on the river.

The alternatives to be reviewed include:

• Rehabilitation of the existing bridge - This alternative would require significant reconstruction, including the replacement of the roadways leading up to the bridge;
• Replacement with a new movable (drawbridge) span - Replace the existing structure with a bridge of a similar nature;
• Replacement with a 100-foot high fixed span – Replace with a non-drawbridge style that would be 100 feet above the high-water level of the river;
• Replacement with a lower fixed span - Replace with a non-drawbridge style that would be between 60 and 70 above the river;
• No-action - Under the National Environmental Policy Act a "no-action" alternative must be studied as a part of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). In this case, due to the advanced age and deteriorated condition of the existing structure, this alternative would likely entail eventual closure of the bridge, and the Coast Guard would likely require that the bridge be removed.

The proposed location for these alternatives is in place of the existing structure, or immediately downstream. The potential effects of any of these alternatives on the existing historical structure will be closely investigated in upcoming studies.

During the open house on June 19, the public will have a chance to learn more about the various options being studied and share their comments. Following the meeting, county staff will begin performing a more intensive review of potential impacts associated with the alternatives. A draft EIS and preferred alternative is expected to be completed next spring, with a final project recommendation expected in late 2003. Construction could begin as early as 2005.

The open house will be held in the gymnasium of Concord Elementary School, located at 723 South Concord Street (near Cloverdale and 7th Avenue South).