Last week the pedestrian suspension bridge in White Center Heights Park had to be closed to the public because of vandalism. Park workers have chased kids off the bridge several times for swinging the bridge back and forth. This has resulted in damage to bolts and cables holding the bridge together. A King County worker said “If the bridge is used as planned it should hold up and be fine but when people try and turn it into a swing there could be continuing problems with nuts and bolts because it’s a mechanical connection and not a truly welded system”.

King County Department of Transportation, whose’ jurisdiction the bridge falls under, is looking into ways to reinforce the structure. The damaged pedestrian footbridge will be closed for at least one month while crews inspect the structure and engineers develop a plan for repairs. King County Parks crews have closed access to the footbridge and have placed signs alerting pedestrians of the closure.

The bridge, which was constructed across a small bog in September 2009 as part of a series of improvements to the park, lost several bolts that connect elements of the structure together.

The bridge was built by Sahale LLC in a project led by the Cascade Land Conservancy, with funding provided by the Washington State Community Trade and Economic Development Grant Program and assistance from the White Center Community Development Association.

White Center Heights Park received the “Ultimate Parks Makeover” in 2007, thanks to generous donations by the Starbucks Coffee Company. More than 1,500 volunteers donated their time and sweat to turn what had been 5 ½ acres of overgrown and underused land into a popular community gathering space that features a picnicking area, pig roasting pit, community garden area, open play field and walking trails.

With the closure of the foot bridge, park visitors are unable to access half of the park. Hopefully the bridge will be reopened before the summer is over, but for now the bridge is closed pending an engineering solution.

White Center Heights Pond, and the bridge that spans it, are highlights of the park that many people use. Adults bring their children to feed the ducks from the bridge and come to sit on the bridge to enjoy the flora and fauna that thrive in or around the pond.

At any given time frogs, turtles, and swallows swooping low across the water to feed can be observed. Large lillies in several varieties thrive in the pond along with marsh grasses. In the warm evenings that summer provides, bats can be seen darting about in the search of insects.