The outage of the lights on the West Seattle Bridge has drawn the attention of many drivers since early August when it became apparent that multiple lights had gone dark. The Seattle Department of Transporation shared the following Q&A regarding the outages, their cause, what you can do to help and the timeline for repairs.

When did we learn about the problem?

Most of the trouble tickets were reported for the S Spokane St and the Swing bridge, not the West Seattle Bridge (WSB). We weren’t aware of the full extent of the outage on the WSB until recently. The Swing bridge streetlights on the east approach were reported by SDOT bridge maintenance crews. SCL arranged to meet with SDOT on August 7, 2025. More research of the underground circuits and maps was needed to develop a plan of action.   

What is the timeline for repairs to be completed?

In the short term, we are working to get the lights back on the bridge to make the area safe for the public.  Because the damage is so extensive, we are discovering additional issues as we work to assess and fix.  We are working as quickly as possible to restore as many lights as possible. Further work is needed to make additional repairs and ensure the future tamper proofing of the system. This will likely include civil work and permitting to move forward.

What steps are being taken to secure the area to prevent reoccurrence?

Temporary ecology block(s) are proposed to be placed in front of the electrical cabinet on the north side of S Spokane St to prevent entry and unauthorized tampering. Additional civil construction work to replace and modify underground electrical handholes is proposed in several locations. This work will require Street Use permits.

We have been actively securing our facilities wherever possible. However, certain areas continue to experience higher levels of streetlight wire theft and vandalism, particularly locations with lower public traffic where perpetrators have greater seclusion. As we discover these vulnerabilities, we’re adapting and developing preventative solutions.

Do we have a database to track what/how many streetlights have been damaged by wire theft?

We have recently established an internal process to help us to better track when wire theft is the cause.

Has SCL established whether it’s vandalism, theft, or both?

Both, other components are being damaged in order for thieves to better access areas with copper.

Officially, how many were damaged?

We estimate approx. 71 streetlights of the more than 200 lights on the high-rise sections of the WSB, and approx. 15 streetlights on the Swing bridge east approach are affected. When crews investigated, they found that there were additional components including a streetlight cabinet and handholes that required repair.

Is this being investigated by law enforcement or other sleuths?

City Light Security will continue to coordinate with the Seattle Police Department when we encounter these types of issues. 

What can the public do to help prevent future theft and vandalism?

We ask that the community utilize the Find It, Fix It app to report dark streetlights and occurrences of wire theft. If you see suspicious activity in process, report it to 911. Together, we will be able to deter and reduce this type of criminal activity. 

If you see someone accessing a handhole in the ground or at a pole, there are a few easy ways to know if they are City Light employees:

• City Light employees will always be wearing hardhats and vests or jackets with the City Light logo.
• If asked, they will show their ID badges.
• They drive City Light vehicles, often the large yellow trucks.
• Line crews always work in teams. One exception is that an engineer may inspect a site alone, but only during regular business hours.

What’s the official time of the incident?

We first became aware of the outages on August 7.

What is the cost to ratepayers?

There is no incremental addition to rates at this time.