Deteriorating South Park Bridge will be closed June 30

The South Park Bridge will close June 30, King County director of transportation Harold Taniguchi told residents and business owners of the South Seattle neighborhood Tuesday night.

"We haven't been successful in securing funding [to replace the bridge]," Taniguchi told a gathering of more than 100 at the Boeing Machinists Hall in South Park. "June 30 is a very realistic date."

The agency also released a bridge-closure proposal certain to disrupt commuters and business owners in the neighborhood that hugs the Duwamish River.

About 20,000 cars and trucks cross the 78-year-old bridge each day, and when it closes, many of those vehicles will be diverted to First Avenue South Bridge. According to a county analysis, that diversion could add 20 minutes to the commutes of South Park Bridge users, which include Georgetown and Boulevard Park residents.

Three Metro bus routes that cross the bridge daily will be rerouted to the First Avenue South Bridge.

The bridge is being closed because its concrete is failing and the pilings weren't sunk into solid footings when it was built. The 2001 Nisqually earthquake caused major damage.

The Federal Highway Administration has given the bridge one of the worst safety rankings in the state, worse even than the earthquake-damaged Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Taniguchi on Tuesday night outlined funding options for a bridge replacement but said even if the county had the money today, it would still take three years to replace the bridge.

One option, he said, is the creation of a transportation benefit district, which could add a $20 vehicle-license fee for people living in that district. The county is also looking for future federal funding.

When the bridge is closed, the movable spans will be lifted to the open position until they are removed. Because the Duwamish is a navigable waterway, the Coast Guard regulations require that the bridge be removed after it is closed. Demolition of the span is expected to take three to six weeks, and demolition of the rest of the bridge will take about nine months at a cost of about $20 million.

At Tuesday's meeting, businesses were told that the city wants to help them survive the bridge's closure.

"This is a crisis," said Tina Vlasaty, with the Seattle Office of Economic Development. "We're all concerned about the vitality of South Park businesses. She talked about possible loans and marketing efforts as possible ways to keep businesses afloat.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com