N 41st Ave Pedestrian Bridge Seismic Retrofit

Updated September 26, 2024

Project Overview

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 reinforce bridges to better withstand the potential impacts of an earthquake. 

As part of the Levy to Move Seattle, 16 bridges were selected for seismic reinforcements, including the N 41st Ave Pedestrian Bridge. The N 41st Ave Pedestrian Bridge is an older bridge constructed in 1936 and provides a more direct connection across Aurora Ave N for the north Fremont neighborhood.  

We're not planning on changing the current use and operation of the bridge. The planned seismic retrofits to the N 41st Ave Pedestrian Bridge include several modifications to strengthen existing bridge components and reduce the bridge’s vulnerability to earthquakes. The following are major construction elements: 

• Retrofitting the bridge’s footing.
• Installing carbon fiber wrapping to strengthen the bridge’s towers.
• Repairing cracks and damaged concrete.
• Replacing bolts throughout the bridge.
• Replacement of impacted concrete panels and curb ramps 

What to expect during construction 

Construction will begin as soon as late September 2024 and is anticipated to last approximately 4-6 months. Once construction begins, we will continue to share information on our webpage and through regular email updates. You can sign up online to receive email updates.   

To complete the work as safely and efficiently as possible, the bridge will be closed to all people walking, biking, and rolling for the duration of construction. In addition, we will be closing car lanes, sidewalks, and crosswalks under the bridge in phases to divert people walking, rolling, biking, and driving away from where work is occurring. 

We understand these closures will impact everyone who uses the bridge and Aurora Ave N regularly and we will do what we can to minimize impacts. The phases will include the following closures: 

Phase 1 

During our first phase of lane closures, the northbound bus lane on Aurora Ave N will be closed between N 40th Ave and N 42nd Ave, and N 41st Ave will be closed to people driving between Aurora Ave N and Whitman Ave N. This phase will include sidewalk and crosswalk closures on N 41st Ave between Aurora Ave N and Whitman Ave N, with a sidewalk on one side of the street remaining open at all times. Detours will be provided and signed. 

Phase 2 

During our second phase of lane closures, the southbound bus lane on Aurora Ave N will be closed between N 40th Ave and N 42nd Ave, and N 41st Ave will be closed to people driving between Aurora Ave N and Whitman Ave N. This phase will include sidewalk and crosswalk closures on N 41st Ave between Aurora Ave N and Linden Ave N, with a sidewalk on one side of the street remaining open at all times. Detours will be provided and signed. 
In addition to the bridge, lane, sidewalk, and crosswalk closures, we currently anticipate the following construction impacts:   

• Work in the public right-of-way near your home or business 
• Temporary on-street parking restrictions, with "no park" signs placed 72 hours in advance
• Staged construction equipment and materials as well as noise, dust, and vibrations in the work area
• Typical weekday work hours of 7 AM – 5 PM, Monday through Friday  

Project schedule* 

* The schedule is subject to change.  

Once construction begins it is scheduled to last approximately 4-6 months. Construction schedules are also subject to change and depend on factors such as weather and availability of crews and materials. 

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 

We’ll update you with project materials such as mailings, flyers, and fact sheets as they are created throughout the construction phase of the project. 

Translation and interpretation 

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