Durkan declares West Seattle Bridge closure a civil emergency, requests support
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan declared the West Seattle Bridge closure an emergency Thursday, and filed a second civil emergency order requesting state and federal assistance for public safety, rescue and recovery efforts.
The move enables the city to expedite permitting, material and contract procurement; strengthen funding efforts and flexibility; work on the remaining Low Bridge over the Duwamish Waterway; and provide support to the communities most impacted by the bridge closure and changes in travel patterns, according to a news release.
"Our cities are facing a series of unprecedented crises, including rising Covid-19 cases and a significant economic crisis,” Durkan said in a statement. “At the same time, residents, workers and businesses have been deeply impacted by the closure of the West Seattle Bridge – the city’s busiest bridge. As SDOT continues to mitigate traffic impacts and stabilize the bridge while evaluating repair and replace options, this emergency proclamation will give Seattle the tools we need to expedite permitting and procurement, and strengthen our efforts to receive state and federal funding.”
In the emergency declaration, Durkan said the closure of a critical part of the state and city transportation infrastructure will disrupt travel and commerce for many years. Port of Seattle Commission President Peter Steinbrueck, also co-chair of the Northwest Seaport Alliance, said in a statement that tens of thousands of jobs depend on the movement of goods in the area, which he said was the busiest freight corridor in the state.
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2020/07/16/durkan-west-seattle-bridge-civil-emergency.html
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