Seattle’s Fremont Bridge undergoes maintenance
Oct 21, 2022, 4:10 PM | Updated: Oct 22, 2022, 8:33 am
Seattle's Fremont Bridge is undergoing repairs this weekend. (Seattle DOT)
(Seattle DOT)
The Fremont Bridge was closed between 11:59 p.m. Friday through 6:00 a.m. Saturday due to bridge deck maintenance. This video from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) captured the noise the bridge was making.
SDOT raised the bridge so crews could weld and repair the deck.
“Crew members will be lifted as high as 100 feet above the water to complete the welding work,” SDOT’s Press Secretary Ethan Bergerson said.
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“The Fremont Bridge is over a century old and is believed to be the most frequently raised drawbridge in America and one of the busiest drawbridges in the world.”
Over time, the fasteners, which hold the metal bridge deck in place, have worn down and loosened, causing the metal grating to shift when a vehicle drives over it, according to Bergerson.
“It is important to repair and maintain the bridge deck in order to prevent the metal grates from moving around and damaging other bridge components,” he said.
Another shutdown will happen next weekend to continue the rest of the work.
