McGilvra Blvd E Bridge Seismic Retrofit
Updated April 10, 2025
What's Happening Now?
We’ll resume work on the McGilvra Blvd E Bridge as soon as mid-April to help it better withstand earthquakes.
Once construction begins, we’ll fully close NB McGilvra Blvd E between the Seattle Tennis Club’s north and south driveways. The north driveway will remain open at all times. This closure helps keep everyone safe and allows our crews work efficiently.
Here’s What We’ll Be Working On:
- Paving the road and replacing deck joints: We’ll remove the old asphalt from a portion of the bridge that wasn’t repaved last year, then repave the entire bridge surface and replace the joints between sections of the deck. This will make the road smoother and help the bridge last longer.
- Fixing chipped concrete under the bridge: We’ll repair areas where the concrete underneath the bridge has broken or chipped. These repairs will help keep the bridge strong over time.
- Removing old support beam and adding a security fence: We’ll remove an old, unused support beam and install a security fence for added safety.
We expect the project to be finished this summer.
To receive project updates, sign up to join our project listserv.
About the Project
Earthquakes could have a major impact on Seattle’s infrastructure. To address seismic risks to city infrastructure, the City of Seattle established a bridge seismic program to assess how vulnerable the City’s bridges were to earthquakes, and to retrofit bridges to better withstand the potential impacts of an earthquake.
As part of the Levy to Move Seattle, 16 bridges were selected for seismic retrofits, including the McGilvra Blvd E Bridge. The McGilvra Blvd E Bridge is an older bridge constructed before the modernization of the seismic design code. The bridge provides a more direct connection for the Washington Park and Harrison/Denny-Blaine neighborhoods.
We're not planning on changing the current use and operation of the bridge. The planned seismic retrofits to McGilvra Blvd E Bridge include several modifications to strengthen existing bridge components and reduce the bridge’s vulnerability to earthquakes. The following are major construction elements:
- Installing drilling shafts in the roadway
- Temporary excavation and shoring to support the drilling of the shafts
What to expect during construction
- Crews will keep the east sidewalk fully open throughout the project.
- You won’t be able to park on the east side of McGilvra Blvd E between 39th Ave E and the north driveway entrance of the Seattle Tennis Club.
- Access through the Seattle Tennis Club’s south driveway entrance will be unavailable during construction.
- You will continue to have access to your home at all times. If a temporary driveway closure is necessary, we will provide advance notice.
- Crews will work in public areas near homes and businesses.
- You can expect typical construction impacts, such as noise, dust, vibrations, and equipment on site.
- Crews will work from 7 AM to 5 PM, Monday through Friday.
Project schedule
| 30% Design | Complete |
| 60% Design | Complete |
| 90% Design | Complete |
| Final Design | Complete |
| Construction | August 2024 |
We expect the project to be finished in summer 2025. The schedule could change due to weather, crew availability, or materials -we’ll keep you posted!
Funding
The project is funded through the Levy to Move Seattle. Approved by voters in 2015, the 9-year, $930 million Levy to Move Seattle provides funding to improve safety for all travelers, maintain our streets and bridges, and invest in reliable, affordable travel options for a growing city.
Get involved
We're committed to keeping you informed and working with neighbors to limit construction impacts to the extent feasible. Here are some ways to get more information about the project:
- Sign up for our project listserv to receive weekly project updates
- Email the project team at BridgeSeismicRetrofit@seattle.gov
- Leave a voicemail at (206) 775-8734. A project representative will return your call.
Materials
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