Worsening concrete cracks in the West Seattle Bridge prompted Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan to close the high-rise structure at 7 p.m. local time on March 23. The Seattle Dept. of Transportation has been regularly inspecting the cracks. During a review on March 22, an inspector found that known cracks in the concrete had worsened at a rate that both the agency and an outside specialist “found unacceptable,” the city says.
“A series of closely monitored cracks has grown faster than our team of experts had anticipated,” Sam Zimbabwe, agency director, said in a statement. “Our engineers saw this acceleration as a clear warning sign that closer inspection is necessary, and complete closure is required to maintain safety as our top priority. As we close the bridge today, we will scale and accelerate a process already underway to determine next steps.”