Seattle’s new $52 million Fairview Avenue bridge opens Saturday

The section of Fairview Avenue N along the east side of Lake Union has been closed since fall 2019.

SEATTLE – The new bridge that extends Fairview Avenue N across the east side of Lake Union opens on Saturday.

The city of Seattle is hosting an opening event at 11:30 a.m. that invites the public to walk or bike across the new bridge before it opens to traffic on Sunday.

Once it opens, construction teams will move to Aloha Street to begin restoration.

The $ 52 million bridge took years to build and a final design was approved back in 2016. The closure began in 2019 after preparations for diversions along Aloha Street to ease traffic jams and allow drivers to continue commuting in the area. .

Before construction, the Fairview Avenue Bridge was the last wooden bridge on a main road in Seattle, according to the Department of Transportation (SDOT).

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While the wooden bridge was safe to drive at the time it was closed, the wooden bridge did not meet seismic standards and some of the piles that were holding it showed signs of deterioration.

The bridge was partially paid for by the Levy to Move Seattle, which was passed in the November 2015 election, with a new design that will allow travelers to safely ride, walk, or cycle, according to SDOT.

The bridge will also have lookouts on the west side of the bridge to provide pedestrian platforms with views of Lake Union.

Residents in the area are cautioned that the street parking created during construction on Fairview Avenue N between Yale Avenue and Aloha Streets will no longer be available.