Information from Seattle Department of Transportation

Earlier this week, we announced that we completed tightening the post-tensioning cables inside the bridge. This major construction milestone was the final step of a long and complex process to install a new post-tensioning system across the 3 spans of the bridge structure.  

With the bridge’s concrete compressed and stronger than ever, we can move tothe next item on our reopening checklist, which is to begin the final phase of epoxy crack injection and carbon-fiber wrapping.  This process will take several weeks. 

This week, we began surface preparation for epoxy crack injection on the bridge’s girders. This is the process of filling small cracks with an epoxy compound using a high-pressure pump to help prevent existing cracks from expanding. We needed to wait for the structure’s concrete to be compressed by the new post-tensioning system before sealing these specific sections of cracks on the bridge.  

We also made additional progress on major maintenance this week. We installed a new overhead sign structure and completed more concrete pours for the panel replacements on the bridge’s western approach.

As part of major maintenance work, we are replacing the overhead sign structures on the West Seattle Bridge. These structures hold the directional signage that you see while driving across the bridge.