Constantine proposes bond issue for new South Park Bridge

The South Park Bridge will close June 30, but King County Executive Dow Constantine on Tuesday presented a proposal to neighborhood residents and business leaders that could finance a new bridge.

Constantine, a longtime supporter of replacing the ailing bridge, said he will ask the Metropolitan King County Council to approve a bond issue to pay for a new bridge. The bonds would be retired from the county roads fund.

That would pay about a quarter of the estimated $130 million replacement cost, Constantine said, though it also could delay other roads projects.

The rest of the money would come from other sources — the cities of Seattle and Tukwila, the state, the Port of Seattle, a local improvement district (LID) imposed on property owners such as Boeing and the U.S. government.

Constantine said he needs to have all local commitments in place before the county applies for federal stimulus money. But there isn't much time: The final application is due Aug. 23.

In February, the federal government rejected King County's request for $99 million in stimulus money to pay most of the replacement cost. Instead, $30 million was awarded for a competing Seattle project, Mercer Street.

"I've been the most persistent voice to get money to replace the bridge," Constantine told the crowd who packed the South Park Machinists hall for the final public meeting on the bridge closure.

"This impacts a diverse neighborhood, a growing center of culture and home to important industrial lands."

About 20,000 cars and trucks cross the 78-year-old bridge each day. When it closes, many of those vehicles will be diverted to First Avenue South Bridge.

County officials have said that even if money were found for a new bridge, it would be at least two years before it opened.

South Park, mostly in the city of Seattle, is home to 4,000 people.

Constantine's message appeased many.

"The bridge can't be glued together. It can't be wired together. And it's not Dow's fault," said Bill Pease, president of the South Park Bridge Committee.

Pease said he is optimistic about winning federal money for a new bridge. "But the dominoes have to fall. King County has to commit. The city has to commit. I hope everyone climbs on board."

But Cari Simson, with the Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition, worried that the pieces might not come together, especially after the County Council this week rejected proposals first to put a sales tax and then a property tax to a public vote on the August ballot.

"The county is trying to rely on bonds," she said, questioning whether the county would make that commitment. "What's the next step?"

Constantine said he hopes he can win support from the County Council but admitted it won't be easy. "I inherited a lot of heavy lifting."

Meanwhile, the county has put together a bridge-closure plan, rerouting buses.

Chris Arkills, transportation policy adviser with the county, said he hopes to have the county provide a shuttle bus that would cross an existing private Boeing bridge across the Duwamish to at least help local businesses with lunchtime crowds.

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