Residents and businesses will learn more about how the closure of South Park Bridge will impact their community at an open house on May 25.

The meeting will be held 6-8 p.m. at the Machinists Hall, 9125 15th Place S. in Seattle. The open house will include a formal presentation and a question and answer session at 6:30 p.m.

During the open house and presentation, the King County Department of Transportation, representatives from the city of Seattle and other service providers will provide an overview of key actions that will be taken in response to input from residents and businesses in the area.

With the June 30 closure of the bridge just weeks away, several actions have been identified to help keep traffic moving while supporting local business needs.

Those steps include:

• Adding a signal at the southbound onramp to SR-509 at South Cloverdale Street and 1st Ave. South to relieve traffic congestion;
• The installation of signage to help channel motorists through the area and around the bridge after it closes;
• Working with the South Park community to develop ongoing strategies to support neighborhood business and commerce; and
• Making channelization improvements to key arterials such as 14th/16th Ave. South and East Marginal Way.

Impacts to King County Metro Transit service have also been a major concern for bus riders in South Park and Georgetown. In response to comments from the public, Metro will present revised options for continued service once the bridge is closed.

Based on extensive research and input from riders and coordination with the city of Seattle, the reroutes represent the best short-term option for continued service to the South Park and Georgetown neighborhoods, according to Metro officials.

Meanwhile, King County Executive Dow Constantine continues to lead a broad-based coalition of public and private stakeholders to secure critical funding for eventual construction of a new bridge. Recently, the executive traveled to Washington D.C. to seek support for federal funding to help pay for construction of a new South Park Bridge.

The South Park Bridge suffers from widespread steel corrosion, crumbling concrete piers and an outdated electrical control system. The main drawbridge piers are also unstable.

The condition of the bridge is so poor it now has an engineering sufficiency rating of 4 out of a possible 100, making it the worst heavily traveled bridge in the state.

And a recently released independent engineering report has additionally confirmed that the bridge must be closed on June 30.

"While closure of the South Park Bridge is necessary, we all recognize the difficult challenges and adjustments that lie ahead," King County Road Services Division Director Linda Dougherty said. "But thanks to the many constructive and thoughtful comments we have received from citizens and the dedicated involvement of community leaders, we have identified several actions we hope will ease the burden on this vibrant community."

For more information about the meeting, call the South Park Bridge Closure Line at 206-263-9979. You can also learn more about the meeting and planning for the upcoming closure of the South Park Bridge by visiting www.kingcounty.gov/southparkbridge.