The Seattle Department of Transportation should increase the budget of bridge maintenance to ensure safety for all travelers in the future.

There are good reasons to invest in fixing Seattle's bridges. Many bridges of them are 80 years old. Some are in bad condition due to a lack of proper maintenance. So, an increase to the maintenance budget can surely improve the quality of these structures.

Council member Alex Pedersen requested the City Auditor to complete an audit report on the maintenance investment and physical conditions of the SDOT’s major bridges. There are 317 bridges under SDOT control, and the city owns 124 of these. The average age of the bridges of Seattle is about 60 years and many of the bridges are well beyond their life expectancy. So, proper maintenance is crucial for these bridges.

The Federal Highway Administration is required to inspect bridges every two years. Seattle’s bridges have an average sufficiency rating of 68.94 out of 100, where 100 the goal. As you can see, there is a lot of work left to do. 45 bridges are functionally obsolete, and 6 bridges are structurally deficient. Seattle’s maintenance budget has been much lower in the past years than what is required, which explains the poor condition of these structures.

SDOT is operating with a significant backlog in its maintenance schedules. This is completely unacceptable when you consider the safety of the residents of the city and its visitors. The City has a responsibility to uphold the maintenance of these bridges and as such they should increase funding for this maintenance.