Mayor Jenny Durkan has signed an emergency proclamation declaring the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge a city emergency (see below), which is a critical step in opening the door to future state and federal assistance while also allowing the City to expedite contracts and services related to the project.  

In a letter to Community Task Force members Bill Laborde, Senior Policy Advisor, SDOT Director’s Office said:

Since the closure of the bridge on March 23, SDOT has been working tirelessly to restore travel across the Duwamish and mitigate the traffic impacts with the speed and urgency this crisis deserves. Both the Mayor and department recognize the bridge is a community lifeline to our local and regional transportation network, and that directly impacts critical maritime and freight industries and, therefore, are responding to the closure as the highest of our priorities. With each new challenging step in our efforts to reconnect West Seattle, we have brought to bear the full and proper resources the City and our partners have to offer – from completing more than 80 immediate multimodal upgrades, to including West Seattle bus and transit needs in Mayor Durkan’s Seattle Transportation Benefit District proposal, to launching Reconnect West Seattle to restore travel across the Duwamish to similar levels seen before the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge closure – so as to make progress, mitigate impacts, and, above all else, maintain public safety.   

The Mayor’s emergency proclamation will continue that effort to align current needs with the best tools and resources available to SDOT and the City.  This is the first emergency proclamation brought forward and put into effect by a Seattle mayor in response to a critical piece of infrastructure.  Mayor Durkan’s proclamation will have four important impacts in the short-term and will play an essential role over time, ensuring that everyone outside of West Seattle, from Olympia to Washington, DC, understands that this is an emergency requiring rapid action and no rest until travel capacity across the Duwamish is restored. This emergency proclamation will:  

• Strengthen funding efforts and flexibility at all levels of government; 
• Enable critical actions around the High-Rise Bridge—no matter what repair or replacement path is selected—through streamlined permitting, materials and contract procurement; 
• Support West Seattle Low Bridge precautionary strengthening work; 
• Support implementation of mitigation measures in the greater Duwamish Valley communities impacted by changed travel patterns while the High-Rise Bridge is closed  

First, the emergency proclamation comes at a critical moment when the Mayor and SDOT are elevating ongoing conversations with federal partners and other elected leaders about securing the funding needed to build the best possible outcome for West Seattle and surrounding communities.  Last week, we outlined what state and federal funding opportunities could look like. Issued in tandem with those conversations, our emergency proclamation demonstrates urgency when pursuing these opportunities. It also makes clear that this is a crisis with impacts that reverberate across all of Seattle, the region, and the state with immediate impacts and lasting consequence if we’re not able to move quickly.  

Second, the Technical Advisory Panel (TAP), is releasing an official statement (also attached) describing how the information they have reviewed indicates repairs are feasible and recommending that we continue to explore the repair option fully along with various replacement options.  This statement echoes information we shared with the Task Force last month and also marks milestone where review about whether repair is possible fully transitions to examining whether repair of the High-Rise Bridge is advisable, relative to other replacement options available.  This is a long-term emergency with no easy answers, and we need an emergency proclamation to be able to do whatever is necessary to expedite progress and mitigate impacts to users, the city, and regional economy. The stabilization work that has already begun is intended to stop deterioration and restore strength to the bridge that will leave all of our options available to restore travel capacity between West Seattle and the rest of the region as quickly as possible and the issuance of today’s emergency proclamation ensures we will be as well positioned as possible to expedite these actions.  

SDOT recently announced an ongoing body of precautionary work to ensure the West Seattle Low Bridge can continue to play the outsized role asked of it by the long-term closure of the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge. The Low Bridge is now an essential component of the West Seattle transportation network that keeps freight, emergency vehicles, and transit moving on and off the peninsula. Using this new authority, SDOT is expediting critical strengthening measures for the Low Bridge, ensuring that rapid action helps this tiny but mighty bridge play its newly elevated, essential role.  

And fourth, the closure of the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge continues to be a daily, acute challenge for those who once relied on the bridge to commute to work, school, medical appointments, and many other daily needs. The changed travel patterns have already begun to affect communities on both sides of the Duwamish, and our Reconnect West Seattle efforts will be critical for managing the multimodal transportation network.  Additionally, for our maritime and freight industry that operate near the Low and High-Rise Bridges, these challenges pose an existential threat if not resolved quickly or in a manner that preserves Mariner access through the Duwamish Channel. These industries support tens of thousands of jobs along the Duwamish River and across Harbor Island, as well as the critical supply chain to Alaska, Hawaii, and across the globe. This first-of-its-kind emergency proclamation recognizes the importance this critical infrastructure has on our city and economy.  

 

The Technical Advisory Panel also gave a conditional approval to pursue longer term repairs on the bridge saying the option "should be retained", despite acknowledging that they were not privy to some important information such as current survey data, geotechnical assessment, or seismic vulnerability evaluation.

 

West Seattle High-Rise Bridge (WSHB) Safety Project Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) Recommendation/Conclusion Report

The TAP has not been presented with any information that indicates that a long-term repair is infeasible or economically unviable. We therefore recommend that this option be retained and fully explored.

In making this statement, we have relied on documents provided by SDOT in the WSHB Technical Advisory Panel file repository, as well as presentations, responses to formal questions, and technical discussions with SDOT and WSP. No original bridge calculations, shop drawings or field notes were available for TAP review as those records do not exist within SDOT records or City archives. It should be noted that aspects of the As-Built drawings have come under scrutiny by SDOT and WSP and that the TAP has been advised to consider these documents as only partially representative of the final configuration of the bridge at the time of construction. No current survey data, geotechnical assessment, or seismic vulnerability evaluation were provided for consideration. While photos inside the box girders were made available, the TAP did not perform any visual observation of bearings or the box girder structure.

This recommendation is predicated on SDOT’s acceptance that the bridge will not be brought up to current seismic standards if repaired. We note that there is currently uncertainty with respect to the capacity (number of travel lanes) that a repair option would provide.

We understand that WSP is currently analyzing a Phase 2 long-term repair option; no analysis or calculations for the proposed long-term repairs were reviewed to confirm adequacy of such repairs. If/as more information is provided to the TAP, we reserve the right to revise this statement accordingly.

Sincerely,

WSHB TAP

###

The Mayor's Proclamation

MAYORAL PROCLAMATION OF CIVIL EMERGENCY CITY OF SEATTLE WEST SEATTLE HIGH-RISE BRIDGE

WHEREAS, on March 23, 2020, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) determined the need for an immediate closure of the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge so as to protect public safety; and

WHEREAS, the immediate nature of and unanticipated need for the closure of the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge preempted all opportunity for prior preparation and notice; and

WHEREAS, the closure of the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge has a similar level of complexity to the recent SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct closure, but with more travelers impacted, many fewer re-route choices, and an extremely condensed timeline for decision making; and

WHEREAS, the immediate closure of the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge has slowed, but not stopped, the continued cracking and deterioration of the bridge which confirms the necessity of immediately removing traffic from the bridge; and

WHEREAS, in 2013, SDOT observed cracking in the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge, and began a program of monitoring crack developments and preventative maintenance, an inspection and monitoring regime that exceeded federal standards; and

WHEREAS, inspections between 2014-2019 by SDOT confirmed low levels of crack growth, which called for observation but was not in and of itself abnormal for a cast-in place concrete structure, and SDOT responded with continued monitoring and routine maintenance twice as frequently as required by federal guidelines; and

WHEREAS, in August 2019, SDOT detected moderate crack growth and responded by filling cracks with epoxy and increasing the rate of inspections to monthly; and

WHEREAS, from October to December 2019, SDOT continued monthly inspections and began to develop mitigation plans to respond to continued crack growth and model bridge structural capacity; and

WHEREAS, prior to February 2020, SDOT’s frequent inspections of the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge, revealed no indication the High-Rise Bridge was unsafe for ordinary Mayoral Proclamation of Civil Emergency- West Seattle High-Rise Bridge use or, that cracking would either impact normal use by the public, or require more robust maintenance work; and

WHEREAS, SDOT conducted daily inspections of the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge from March 20 to 23, 2020 and observed the bridge move from “safe” to rapid deterioration in a matter of days; and

WHEREAS, in a matter of days in March 2020, eight cracks grew more than 12 feet total on a single wall, with the longest crack suddenly increasing by 4.5 feet, far exceeding in days the crack growth that had occurred over a period of seven years; and

WHEREAS, SDOT ordered the High-Rise Bridge closed on March 23, 2020, and by 7:00 pm that same day SDOT began implementing the bridge closure; and

WHEREAS, the closure of the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge happened in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic public health emergency; and

WHEREAS, SDOT is taking steps to stabilize the current structure and continues to develop plans to either repair or replace the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge; and

WHEREAS, the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge will remain closed until it is either repaired or replaced and neither will occur in 2020; and

WHEREAS, the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge is a community lifeline, provides access and commerce to residents throughout the State and normally carries 100,000 vehicles and 19,000 transit riders a day; and

WHEREAS, without the High-Rise Bridge, movement between West Seattle and the rest of Washington requires travelers to take more circuitous and congested routes, creating negative impacts on travel, transportation, commerce, and pollution throughout the region; and

WHEREAS, SDOT has restricted access to the lower Spokane Street Bridge to freight, transit, and emergency vehicles in order to maintain these critical mobility and emergency response functions; and

WHEREAS, at the beginning of 2020, there were 21 vehicle travel lanes crossing the Duwamish River, with connections to the West Seattle peninsula: the West Seattle High- Rise Bridge (7 lanes), the West Seattle Low Bridge (2 lanes), the 1st Ave South Bridge (8 lanes) and the South Park Bridge (4 lanes). With the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge closure and the Spokane Street Bridge restrictions, there are now only 12 travel lanes for personal vehicles to move between West Seattle and the rest of Washington, all concentrated at the south end of West Seattle; and

WHEREAS, prior to the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge closure, there were about 140,000 trips across all four bridges each day; current capacity is limited to approximately 52,000 trips each day; and

WHEREAS, available detour routes off the peninsula lead traffic south, increasing traffic and accompanying air pollution disproportionately to the south end of West Seattle and Duwamish Valley where communities already face a number of environmental impacts, including: [1] Proximity to the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site, one of the most toxic hazardous waste sites in the nation; [2] Air pollution from a disproportionate number of polluting industries; [3] Air pollution from surrounding major highways – State Highways 99 and 509, and I-5; and

WHEREAS, among other major points, the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge provides access to and connects Washington State Route 99, Interstate Highway 5, Washington State Ferries Fauntleroy Ferry Dock, West and Downtown Seattle, and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; and

WHEREAS, the collapse of the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge would severely impact the Muckleshoot Tribe’s access to the Duwamish River; and

WHEREAS, the collapse of the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge would disrupt commerce throughout the Duwamish waterway, Harbor Island, and the Port of Seattle, and negatively affect the state’s commercial and environmental interests throughout the region; and

WHEREAS, the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge and Spokane Street Bridge are located in the Duwamish Manufacturing and Industrial Center, one of the state’s busiest MICs, as well as provides access to the Northwest Seaport Alliance and Port of Seattle’s north cargo terminals, Harbor Island, and newly modernized Terminal 5, which is scheduled to open in spring 2021; and

WHEREAS, the structural ability of the Spokane Street Bridge to absorb increased freight, transit, and overall traffic volumes will challenge the health of the bridge and likely accelerate necessary maintenance and repair work; and

WHEREAS, the structural integrity of the Spokane Street Bridge is critical to emergency vehicles, the Port, the Duwamish Manufacturing and Industrial Center, the Northwest Seaport Alliance, the maritime traffic on the Duwamish waterway, the Muckleshoot Tribe’s access to the Duwamish River, and the traffic emergency rerouting from the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge; and

WHEREAS, SDOT is requesting City, County, State, and Federal agencies to prepare and practice evacuation plans for businesses below the high-span of the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge; and

WHEREAS, I have directed SDOT to report monthly to City Council on uses of the emergency powers contained herein; and

WHEREAS, I have reviewed the situation, consulted with City Department Directors, including the Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation, and verified the existence of the emergency cited below, and the necessity for me to take immediate, extraordinary action as outlined in this proclamation; NOW, THEREFORE,

I, JENNY A. DURKAN, AS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE DO PROCLAIM AND ORDER THAT:

SECTION 1. CIVIL EMERGENCY POWERS

A. A civil emergency exists requiring and authorizing me to exercise the emergency powers vested in me as Mayor by RCW Chapter 38.52, the Charter of the City of Seattle, Article V, Section 2, and Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 10.02 as described in this proclamation.

B. Effective upon my signing this proclamation, I will be exercising that authority through the issuance of Executive Orders and through the use and direction of City personnel, services and equipment and additional acts necessary to the management of this emergency; and

C. Pursuant to Seattle Municipal Code section 12A.26.040, it is unlawful for anyone to knowingly fail to obey an Emergency Order issued or proclaimed by me under authority of sections 10.02.010 or 10.02.020 of the Seattle Municipal Code.

SECTION 2. DETERMINATION OF EMERGENCY

Based on my review of the present circumstances, the ongoing reports of the Seattle Department of Transportation and its engineering consultants, and my consultations with City Department Directors, including the Seattle Department of Transportation and the Seattle Office of Emergency Management, I proclaim that an emergency exists, as defined in SMC 10.02.010.A., due to the degradation and potential failure of the West Seattle High- Rise Bridge, which has led to the closure of a critical part of the City of Seattle’s and Washington State’s transportation infrastructure, and which will disrupt travel and commerce for many years, and may have adverse health consequences for people in the South Seattle area. The response to this will require the use of all city resources and the need to access State and Federal resources and financial mechanisms. I exercise the authority assumed in Section 1 and take the extraordinary measures in Section 3 in order to prevent death or injury of persons and to protect the public peace, safety and welfare, and alleviate damage, loss, hardship or suffering.

SECTION 3. CONTRACTING AND BORROWING AUTHORITY

Pursuant to SMC Section 10.02.030, I hereby assume the authority to enter into contracts and incur obligations necessary to relieve the emergency, protect the health and safety of persons and property, and provide emergency assistance to the victims if this becomes necessary in the future, and to exercise the authority in light of the exigencies of the situation without regard to time-consuming procedures and formalities prescribed by ordinance, statute, rule or regulation (excepting mandatory constitutional requirements),including, but not limited to the following limitations and requirements:

• Budget law limitations;

• Competitive bidding and the publication of notices pertaining to the performance of public works (RCW 35.22.620 et seq.; RCW Chapters 39.04 through 39.12; SMC Chapter 3.18; and SMC Chapter 20.48, etc.);

• Entering into contracts;

• Incurring of obligations;

• Employment of temporary workers;

• Rental of equipment;

• Purchase of supplies and materials; and

• Appropriation and expenditure of public funds.

Notwithstanding the enumerated limitations and requirements of this Section, I shall comply with the emergency purchasing and contracting requirements of SMC Chapter 10.02, including the verification and submittal of emergency purchases and contracts to the City Council, as required by SMC 10.02.070.

 

SECTION 4. CIRCULATION

A copy of this proclamation and any Executive Order issued hereunder shall be delivered to the Governor of the State of Washington and to the County Executive of King County. To the extent practicable, a copy of this Proclamation and any Executive Orders issued hereunder shall be made available to all news media within the City and to the general public. In order to give the widest dissemination of this Proclamation to the public, as many other available means as may be practical to use shall be used, including but not limited to posting on public facilities and public address systems.

SECTION 5. PRESENTATION, RATIFICATION, TERMINATION

This proclamation shall immediately upon issuance, or as soon as practical, be filed with the City Clerk for presentation to the City Council for ratification and confirmation, modification, or rejection, and if rejected, shall be void. If the Council modifies or rejects this proclamation said modification or rejection shall be prospective only as provided by law and shall not affect any actions taken prior to the modification or rejection.

This proclamation shall be terminated by the issuance of another proclamation when I determine that extraordinary measures are no longer required for the protection of the public peace, safety and welfare, or by the passage of a termination resolution by not less than two-thirds (2/3) of all the members of the City Council. Before termination of this civil emergency, I or the City Council shall consult with the Chief of Police, the Fire Chief, the Director of Public Health – Seattle and King County, and the Director of the Office of Emergency Management to determine if there are any fiscal, public safety response or disaster recovery imperatives that require the continuation of emergency measures.

DATED this _____ day of _______________, 2020 at _______a.m./p.m.

_________________________________________

Jenny A. Durkan, Mayor

The City of Seattle