Councilmember Lisa Herbold (District 1 – West Seattle/South Park) and Councilmember Alex Pedersen (District 4 – Northeast Seattle and Chair of Transportation & Utilities Committee) issued the following statement regarding the civil emergency proclamation and order issued by Mayor Durkan today for the West Seattle Bridge “to apply for any and all available and eligible state and federal assistance to local governments to address critical transportation and port infrastructure.”
The proclamation authorizes the Executive to exercise the emergency powers vested in the Mayor by RCW Chapter 38.52, the Charter of the City of Seattle, Article V, Section 2, and Seattle Municipal Code Chapter 10.02 and is coupled with an Emergency Order requesting Federal and State financial assistance.
“The swift and necessary closure of the West Seattle bridge (upper deck) in March is an emergency most Seattleites won’t soon forget. The Mayor’s action today empowers the City to request additional funding from the state and federal government to both address this emergency with urgency and expedite viable passageways/alternatives in and out of West Seattle. Without the bridge, movement between West Seattle and the rest of Washington has required travelers to take more circuitous and congested routes, negatively impacting the areas adjacent to that region and our economy.
“The immediate closure of the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge has slowed, but not stopped, the continued cracking and deterioration of the bridge. We have consistently advocated to the Mayor and SDOT for the need for a Declaration of Emergency for the West Seattle Bridge.
“Recognizing that the West Seattle High-Rise Bridge is a community lifeline, and normally carries 100,000 vehicles and 19,000 transit riders a day, we thank the Mayor and her leadership team at SDOT for today’s actions.”