Information from Seattle Department of Transportation

The Spokane Street Bridge (Low Bridge) remains closed to all travelers as Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) crews continue to work to diagnose and repair mechanical issues which have caused the Spokane Street Bridge to stay in the open position. The bridge failed to close properly after a power outage was resolved and is stuck in an “open” position late this afternoon. Currently, there is no time estimate of when the bridge will re-open. SDOT advises people who drive, walk, bike, and roll on the low bridge to find alternate routes.

With the city dealing with ice and below-freezing conditions, SDOT is continuing to urge people to only travel if they necessarily need to. If you must travel through the area, travelers should use the West Seattle Bridge (High Bridge) or use East Marginal Way S and West Marginal Way SW to access streets to cross the Duwamish Waterway via the 1stAve S bridge to the south. 

SDOT has been working to respond to the situation since the bridge became stuck late on Friday. Initially, the problem appeared to be a computer fault that may have been caused by a down power line. This resulted in a temporary loss of power until the backup generator switched on. While resolving the computer issue, problems with a positioning sensor and a hydraulic seal associated with the hydraulic cylinder that rotates the bridge were also identified.  Subsequent troubleshooting and testing of the opening and closing sequence of the bridge resulted in the bridge stopping in the open position. Engineers are working to assess and repair the issue in order to re-open the bridge. To learn more about how SDOT roadway structures team gets our bridges up and running after technical difficulties, visit our Bridges webpage.

SDOT is also working with King County Metro to help people get around the closure. Dynamic message signs are located at key decision points around Seattle so people driving can know to avoid the area. Notifications will be shared as the bridge reopens or if conditions change.

The SDOT’s Travelers Map shows the latest street and bridge closures and shares camera feeds to monitor conditions. The map is available at https://web.seattle.gov/Travelers/.  Also, you can find up-to-date traffic information on the SDOT Traffic Twitter handle: SDOT Traffic (@SDOTtraffic) / Twitter.

King County Metro will keep riders informed of transit impacts by sending email and texts to route subscribers, and posting updates on Twitter.