County pledges $31 million for South Park Bridge | Transportation

The King County Council just handed neighbors in South Park a check for $31 million. Well, sort of.

Today, the council passed an ordinance allowing the Executive to issue up to $31 million in bonds to fund the South Park Bridge replacement.

Adding to the $15 million the city promised last week, it’s now up to the state and the federal government to foot the rest of the bill to cover the $130.8 million project.

“Putting together a winning funding package for a new bridge is my number one priority—period!” said Councilmember Jan Drago, who represents the South Park and Georgetown areas on the council. “By committing the County’s share of the funds today, our partners can now move quickly and the remaining funding can fall into place. Solidifying the local dollars and the coalition of stakeholders will be the key to success with our next bid for federal grant money.”

The county will apply for the federal Tiger II grant in August and expects to learn the results in October.

The South Park Bridge will close permanently on June 30. The 79-year-old bridge, which crosses the Duwamish Waterway, connects the South Park and Georgetown neighborhoods in south Seattle. With nearly 20,000 vehicles crossing it each day, the South Park Bridge is an important freight corridor that links the manufacturing and industrial centers of Seattle with the rest of the region.

“Investing in the bridge means investing in our region,” said Councilmember Julia Patterson, who serves as Chair of the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee.  “The bridge closure will move thousands of vehicles onto other major transportation corridors, such as the 1st Avenue South Bridge and I-5, creating severe congestion which will slow us down. It will also stifle commerce and add to air pollution – all at a projected cost of up to $337 million to the County and the region.”