The Seattle Department of Transportation completed its seismic retrofit of the McGraw Street Bridge earlier this month.
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The Seattle Department of Transportation completed its seismic retrofit of the McGraw Street Bridge in just 9 months, with a budget of $7.5 million. The Levy to Move Seattle, passed in 2015, funded the retrofit.
The current bridge was constructed over Wolf Creek Ravine in 1936. Now it is sturdier and more capable of withstanding earthquakes. The following tasks were included in the project:
• Installed carbon fiber wrapping to strengthen the bridge's crossbeams, columns, and arches
• Strengthened the existing arch with a concrete infill wall
• Installed concrete blocks and supportive shells for the bridge's columns and crossbeams
• Repaired cracks and damaged concrete
• Replaced the expansion joints at both ends of the bridge
• The McGraw Street Bridge is a designated city landmark that is part of the Queen Anne boulevard on top of Queen Anne hill. Now that the bridge is open again, people that walk, run, bicycle, or drive along the boulevard will enjoy the reconnected road.
For more information, contact the Seattle Department of Transportation at 206-684-ROAD (7623) or 684-Road@seattle.gov.