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AN ORDINANCE pertaining to the roads capital improvement program; and amending the 2010/2011 Biennium Budget Ordinance, Ordinance 16717, Section 137, as amended, and Attachment G, as amended; and declaring an emergency.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. The South Park Bridge, built in 1931, is at the end of its useful life. Its concrete support structure is undergoing a self-destructive process that cannot be reversed or repaired. The heavily cracked piers are unstable and shift on their foundations. The concrete itself is actually crumbling in many places due to contamination in the concrete when the bridge was built.
B. The piers have tilted toward the middle of the river so much that, even after many modifications, the bridge cannot be properly closed and the moveable parts fully seated. The mechanical and electrical systems that open and close the bridge to let vessels through are unreliable.
C. Even after shoring and repairs were completed following the 2001 Nisqually earthquake, the bridge is seven times more vulnerable to earthquake damage than the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
D. There are frequent problems that prevent the bridge from operating properly, causing significant delays for both vehicular and boat traffic.
E. The problems with the bridge structure are so extensive that there are no feasible repair options. The significant extent and nature of these structural problems, coupled with the poor initial construction of the bridge, mean the bridge must be scheduled to close on June 30, 2010, for the public's safety.
F. Planning for closure of the South Park Bridge requires an extensive process of consulting with affected citizens, local governments, fire and police departments, school districts, and transportation agencies.
G. With the June 30 closure date less than eleven weeks away, appropriation authority for right-of-way acquisition is needed without delay so the closure preparations c...

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