Perhaps one of the greatest indications of man’s advancements as a superior, intelligent being is how far we have come in terms of transportation. Today, moving from point A to B is done faster and more conveniently than it ever used to be before.
As such, arguably one of the worst things that could have happened to residents of #Magnolia and the people of Seattle as a whole was the Nisqually earthquake of 2001.
In addition to injuring several hundred people and structurally damaging important sites like the State Capitol building and the Alaskan Way Viaduct, it also significantly damaged the Magnolia Bridge.
The importance of this bridge to the residents of Magnolia and its surrounding environment cannot be overstated as this bridge is one of only three roads connecting this area to all the rest of Seattle.
As the second largest neighborhood in Seattle, you can easily imagine how much of a difficulty having such an important edifice damaged is causing.
Even though it is currently usable, if only for the time being, it has become more than imperative that something be done to resolve the current and impending traffic situation mounting in the area.
According to Kit Loo, a respected Project Manager in Seattle, the current Magnolia Bridge will only last till 2024 at best, and that’s if another earthquake of equal or greater magnitude like the Nisqually doesn’t occur during the stipulated time frame. What’s more, weight restriction protocols would have to be rolled out much sooner than expected, just to make sure that the structure even lasts that long.
The evaluation by Kit is coming in light of the recently released report of the evaluation of the structural integrity of the bridge by the Seattle Department of Transport (SDOT). This was done in fulfillment of a promise to study the bridge’s condition back in 2017.
In addition to evaluating how safe the bridge is for passage, SDOT also released their list of viable options for replacing the crumbling structure.
According to SDOT, Magnolia has only one of four options at the moment. These are:
- Build a brand-new bridge, the Armory Way Bridge. This is expected to cost between $200-$350 million.
- Break down the current bridge completely and have a Dravus street Upgrade. This is expected to cost between $190-$350 million.
- Reconstruct a portion of the existing bridge, the Lower Magnolia Bridge which would cost about $210-$360 million.
- And lastly, tearing down the current bridge and rebuilding an exact replica in its place. This is going to cost between $340-$420 million.’
Considering the symbolic and practical role of the Magnolia Bridge, the only rational choice here would be to go with the last option and #rebuild an identical bridge in its place.
Sadly, after dilly-dallying for so long, SDOT is now leaning towards one of the three least practical options, simply because they appear cheaper.
Yet, the simple fact remains that none of these three alternatives can effectively cater to the needs of the residents of Magnolia and its neighboring environments the way a new Magnolia Bridge would. This point is further buttressed by the fact that should the number of vehicle owners in Magnolia and Seattle continue to increase as projected, a new Magnolia Bridge would be indispensable to relieving the increased traffic stress.
Residents of Magnolia and Seattle as a whole deserve a route of transportation that adequately caters to their needs. More importantly, they deserve it now. SDOT should look into effecting construction of the new Magnolia Bridge as soon as possible. As has been conclusively proven, the cost of building such a structure does NOT reduce over time.
At least this once, SDOT should put the needs, interest and desire of the people first and put the necessary plans in place to initiate the construction of a new Magnolia Bridge.
