Several draw bridges will be closed intermittently today (Sunday) for cooling showers, including the Ballard Bridge.
Crews will be at the Ballard Bridge at noon today to spray down the bridge with water from a cooling truck. The showers are necessary because high temperatures can cause the steel to expand, potentially creating problems for opening and closing functions. The bridge will be closed for five to 10 minutes at a time while it gets sprayed down.
Below is a video of the Ballard Bridge being cooled in mid-August:
The cooling truck will visit the Fremont and University Bridges next, and then will return to the Ballard Bridge to begin a second round of spray-downs on each bridge.
Photo: SDOT