Transportation officials say 520 bridge in jeopardy

MEDINA, Wash. – The aging Evergreen Point floating bridge across Lake Washington needs to be replaced soon, officials said after a weekend inspection of the span.

"This bridge is in jeopardy. This bridge is aging. This bridge needs to be replaced," said Dave Dye, urban corridors administrator with the Washington state Department of Transportation, in a tour with politicians, media and community members.

More than 6,000 feet of cracks in the walls of the bridge were the most obvious signs that the structure, now in its fifth decade, is reaching the end of its useful life.

This past winter, the bridge was closed briefly after being damaged during a windstorm. The bridge was closed again this past weekend for yearly maintenance work. With the span shut down, traffic was snarled on alternative ways to travel between Seattle and its eastern suburbs.

A four-lane and a six-lane replacement bridges are being considered. Current projections estimate the four-lane project would cost between $1.7 billion and $2 billion. The six-lane design would cost between $2.3 billion and $3.1 billion.

The new bridge will be designed to accommodate light rail in the future.

About $1.25 billion has been found to pay for the new bridge. The rest likely will come from a regional tax and toll revenues.

Officials said construction on a new bridge could begin in 2009, with completion predicted by 2015. The new bridge would be built to the north of the current span.