Public art pieces removed from the Ballard Bridge after being damaged during a February 2006 windstorm will be re-installed at the end of July.

The eight aluminum sculptures stood 10 feet tall. Two sculptures had brackets that were affected by the storm. The city took the sculptures down as a safety precaution at the recommendation of a structural engineer.

Lori Patrick, spokesperson for the city's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs said the brackets anchored to the bases had to be fabricated.

A community group, Ballard Gateway Committee worked on the project to add artwork to the bridge for four years.

The sculptures went up on the bridge in 2003 on the east and west railings from Northwest 49th to Ballard Way. The location was considered a well-traveled entry point to the neighborhood that provided visibility for the artwork.

Designed by artists Tom Askman and Lea Anne Lake from Spokane, the sculptures depicted Ballard history in the maritime and lumber industries in a colorful and whimsical way.

The designs included saw blades, a fish net, boat propellers, Native American and Scandinavian themes.

For the fishing net, Askman and Lake bent solid aluminum rods around metal tree trunks. Other designs were cut from aluminum panels with a jigsaw. Wiring inside the sculptures allowed them to be lighted at night.

Patrick said people have been asking about the sculptures, but her department has been swamped with the task of moving over 400 public art pieces throughout Seattle.

"We'll be happy to get them back," said Patrick.

The public should expect lane closures on the bridge when the Seattle Department of Transportation brings the sculptures back.