Ballard Bridge Planning Study launches

The city has just announced the start of the Ballard Bridge Planning Study, which will look at rehabilitation and replacement options for the future of the 102-year-old bridge.

The first step of the study is a survey, aimed at understanding how the community uses and values the Ballard Bridge, which carries over 57,000 vehicles per day. The survey is open until July 7th.

While the Seattle Department of Transportation performs regular maintenance and inspections, some rehab is in order to sustain its high use.

“Since the structure is in good condition today, we have an opportunity to plan ahead and look beyond just maintaining its current form and function,” the survey reads.

The long-range bridge study, funded by the Levy to Move Seattle, will look at associated costs, risks, benefits, and trade-offs of each rehab or replacement option. The study will first screen options, “based on geometric and traffic constraints and will then evaluate cost-effective and constructible structure types.”

To learn more about the study or to stay updated via a listserv, visit the city’s Ballard Bridge Planning Study website.

8 thoughts to “Ballard Bridge Planning Study launches”

  1. Amazing that this bridge has been working for 102 years. I imagine it will be almost impossible to predict what the needs of the Ballard community will be 100 yrs from now!

    1. Agreed. I feel that Ballard has officially outgrown this bridge, and with the pace of development we’ll need a new solution really soon, one that will accommodate all different modes of transportation. I think it’ll be an interesting study.

  2. This thing to me has been antiquated now for years, simply due to growth. However, we will all now have to endure paralysis by analysis, in the form of studies, review panels, more studies, then environmental assessments, followed by more studies, etc, etc. Hopefully something can get done BEFORE it too is an antique when complete.

  3. The car and bus passenger in me really appreciates the bridge, but the pedestrian and cyclist in me hates it. I really hope for a solution that makes walking and riding across that bridge much more pleasant (and safer and less scary) than it is now, although I don’t really expect to see that in my lifetime. Heck, I don’t expect to see lightrail to Ballard in my lifetime, and I’m not that old (ok, maybe a little old).

    1. Take the survey in the link above. It lets you voice your concerns about what needs improving for all modes of transportation you mentioned.

      The crosswalk at the south end of the bridge is a nightmare.

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