The Swamp Creek Bridge, just west of Bothell in unincorporated Snohomish County, is a main thoroughfare that serves many families in the Northshore community. But the crossing has been shuttered since June 20 as crews worked to replace the 47-year-old structure. The new bridge will open today at 5 p.m. to the delight of neighbors and commuters.
“The project has gone very smoothly and we are very happy with the contractor’s work,” said communications specialist for Snohomish County Public Works Tina Hokanson. “There are a lot of people in the community that use this bridge, including kids at Kenmore Junior High and many bicyclists.”
A construction crew dismantled the old timber and concrete two-lane bridge in June. The bridge had deteriorated to the point that it could only handle 16 tons safely, prior to being torn down.
“We had put a weight restriction on the bridge and reduced traffic to one lane for a time,” said Hokanson. “It had returned to two lanes before the project began.”
The new structure, which has a price tag of $3.7 million, is freestanding, unlike the old structure, which had piers that would collect debris from the creek. The new structure is also more robust, wider and includes 5.5-foot-wide sidewalks and shoulders on both sides for walkers and bicyclists.
“Whenever we have a project we try to expand the network of walkable areas,” said Hokanson.
And while there is still some work left that will go into the new year, neighbors are just glad to be able to cross it again and not have to go around.
The Federal Highway administration is paying 80 percent of the cost, while Snohomish County is paying the rest. There is a tentative ribbon-cutting set for 3 p.m. on Oct. 9.
The old Swamp Creek Bridge was made of timber and concrete.
Construction crews prepare for the pouring of concrete for the rails on the new Swamp Creek Bridge in Bothell.