Seattle City Council approves funds for early West Seattle Bridge work
The Seattle City Council on Tuesday approved a total of $70 million in funds to cover early work on the West Seattle Bridge project.
The legislation allocated $50 million from the city’s construction and inspections fund and $20 million from the Real Estate Excise Tax II Capital Projects Fund to loan to the project. The funds are intended to cover project costs into early 2021 and to be repaid by issuing bonds next year.
The city expects the total cost for the immediate response to the West Seattle Bridge to be $191.9 million, according to the legislation.
The West Seattle Bridge closed March 23 after crews saw rapid growth in cracking along the center section of the bridge. A technical advisory panel has confirmed that the city could repair the bridge, but the Department of Transportation is still conducting a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether they should repair or replace the structure. Mayor Jenny Durkan plans to make that decision in October.
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2020/09/11/city-council-west-seattle-bridge-funding.html
