July 2020

Multiple options offered on repair or replace of West Seattle Bridge; No full travel capacity till at latest 2026, no ITT tunnel being studied
Repair scenarios could put some traffic on the bridge by 2022; Placards for low bridge access coming

In the fifth meeting of the West Seattle Bridge Community Task Force with the Seattle Department of Transportation six possible directions were presented to either repair or replace the damaged structure. 

None of the options presented would restore full travel capacity until 2026, though some repair scenarios could put some traffic on the bridge by 2022.

SDOT in the the process of doing a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) of the various options looking at the costs and attributes to make the best choice. The options presented on July 22 are meant to be reviewed by the Task Force, input taken from them and the Technical Advisory Panel on Aug. 5 then over the next couple of months the deliverables (basis, evaluation criteria, alternative design ideas, cost estimates and more) will be in hand by October.

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SDOT answers questions about the work platforms on the West Seattle Bridge

Work platforms were raised up beneath the West Seattle Bridge on Monday morning July 20 as part of the Seattle Department of Transportation's (SDOT) efforts to stabilize the now damaged structure. It's been closed to traffic since March 23 when serious shear cracks were found to have grown longer and wider making the bridge unsafe for vehicle traffic.

The platforms will give workers access to the outside of the girders that form the bridge so that carbon fiber wraps can be applied. These wraps are extremely strong with a very high strength to weight ratio. The consist of carbon fibers in threads that form a kind of thin blanket or wrap. These wrap are then either soaked in epoxy or bonded to the surface with it giving the structure much higher tensile strength and crack resistance. 

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Duwamish River Opportunity Fund to provide $250,000 for community-initiated projects
Seeking proposals to support Duwamish River neighborhoods

For years, Duwamish River neighborhoods have been impacted by environmental injustices, including the Superfund clean-up occurring in and along the river. To support them, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods is again seeking proposals to the Duwamish River Opportunity Fund (DROF) to help fund community-based projects that improve the quality of life for communities living in the Duwamish River Valley. The total amount of funding is $250,000.   

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County Exec. Constantine, Councilmember McDermott will be part of busy WS Transportation Coalition virtual meeting July 23
SDOT's Heather Marx will offer WS Bridge update; Sound Transit 3 update featured

The West Seattle Transportation Coalition July meeting is this Thursday, July 23rd at 6:30 p.m. It's virtual and will happen via Zoom videoconference.

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Sourdough without yeast

By Katy G. Wilkens

I have been amazed and pleased at the number of people who have decided to bake bread during the COVID-19 outbreak. That’s because bread is one of the “Salty Six” in the American diet, one of the foods with the highest levels of salt. Making it yourself means you can avoid that salt overload.

Consider that a healthy goal for sodium is about 1,500 milligrams a day, and that most slices of bread from a grocery store have 200 to 250 milligrams of sodium. Toast at breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and a roll with dinner adds up to about two-thirds of the recommended daily salt intake.

When you make your own bread, you can cut way down on the salt or leave it out completely. I like to add fresh rosemary to my recipe for a more complex flavor without any salt.

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