2nd Ave S Extension and S Jackson St Bridge Planning Study
Updated: September 20, 2024
What's Happening Now?
We are halfway through the bridge planning study. We finished the Level 1 Evaluation which explored several rehabilitation and replacement concepts for each of the two aging bridges. We are moving into our Level 2 Evaluation to conduct more in-depth analysis of the most promising alternatives.
Level 1 Evaluation Findings
- Construction in this area will be a challenge. Work would be happening on a busy street network that supports people walking, rolling, biking, taking transit, and driving, as well as an active railroad below Bridge 7. Construction for all rehabilitation and replacement options will have different impacts on transportation operations.
- Rehabilitation options must meet current design criteria and extend the bridge's life at least 25 years to justify the investment. We need to do more analysis to understand if the rehabilitation alternatives can meet these baseline requirements.
- Replacement options for Bridge 7 would require meeting current railroad clearance standards. If Bridge 7 is raised to meet the minimum clearances, it would require raising portions of the adjacent streets and structures to create a smooth transition for people traveling at street level.
Our bridge study process brought together technical feedback from our agency partners and public input collected through other planning efforts in the Jackson Hub area. In developing the Level 1 Evaluation, the project team met throughout the year with subject matter experts and attended South Downtown Hub Workshops to learn about community supported changes in the area.
The project team anticipates completing the study in the winter. If you are interested in future updates and engagement opportunities, please subscribe to the 2nd Ave & Jackson Bridge Study email topic. This topic can be found under the "Traffic and Construction" header.
Study Overview
The 2nd Ave S Extension and S Jackson St Bridge Planning Study will look at options for repairing or replacing two aging bridges in the Jackson Hub area: Bridge 33W (S Jackson St between 4th Ave S and 5th Ave S) and Bridge 7 (2nd Ave S Ext between S Jackson St and 4th Ave S).
The study will help us plan for the long-term future of these two essential bridge structures and inform ongoing planning and design work resulting in potential future repair, retrofit, or replacement of these structures. In the coming years, the city will pursue funding and determine the best timing for these next steps.
Study Timeline
- Fall 2023 - Study Kickoff
- Winter 2024 - Data collection, initial analyses, and definition of evaluation criteria
- Spring/Summer 2024 - Ongoing analyses and concept development
- Summer/Fall 2024 - Alternatives analysis and evaluation
- Winter 2025 - Study completion
Background
The Jackson Hub area is one of Seattle’s major multimodal transportation hubs—bringing together buses from King County Metro and private operators, light rail and passenger service from Sound Transit and Amtrak, the First Hill Streetcar, and BNSF freight trains—and a critical connection point between two of the City’s historic neighborhoods—Pioneer Square and Chinatown/International District. The area is also home to a complex and interconnected—though not always obvious—network of nine bridges.
As part of the Levy to Move Seattle, funds have been allocated to study the future of two bridges in this area: Bridge 33 W (South Jackson St between 4th Ave and 5th Ave) and Bridge 7 (2nd Ave S Ext between S Jackson St and 4th Ave). This effort is part of SDOT’s Bridge Rehabilitation and Replacement Program to better understand the size of Seattle's maintenance backlog and better prepare us for future investments.
As the City shapes its future for the Jackson Hub area, we will consider replacement and/or rehabilitation options for the study structures that support that future vision. We will consider the various modes of traveling through the area, future environmental and transit goals, agency requirements, neighborhood impacts, and community feedback throughout the study process.
Technical Agency Committee
The Technical Agency Committee (TAC) consists of agency stakeholders assisting the project team throughout the study. The TAC includes subject matter experts from SDOT, Sound Transit, BNSF, King County Metro, WSDOT, Amtrak, Seattle Public Utilities, and Seattle City Light. In preparing the Level 1 Evaluation, the TAC met five times to refine the evaluation criteria and develop the concepts being studied. The TAC will continue to meet as we work through the Level 2 Evaluation and complete our study.
South Downtown Hub Workshops
Our study is considering other planned projects in the area and how community members envision traveling through and spending time here in the future. SDOT has been working closely with its agency partners and attending the South Downtown Hub planning workshops. SDOT incorporated community feedback collected over three workshops and considered community perspectives in the development of the evaluation criteria and concept alternatives.
Nearby Projects and Partnerships We're Coordinating With