The City of Kenmore hosted an open house on Jan. 26 to get residents’ input on the West Sammamish River Bridge replacement project.

The bridge, built in 1938, carries southbound traffic over the Sammamish River on 68th Avenue NE. It is nearing the end of its life, and in March 2014, weight restrictions on the bridge went into effect until it is replaced.

“We found that replacing the bridge was the best (option),” John Vicente, City of Kenmore capital projects manager, said.

In addition to replacing the west bridge, work also will involve replacing approaches to the bridge between NE 170th Street and NE 175th Street. The new bridge should have a lifespan of 75 years, and the project will cost approximately $20 million. The project is funded by the Federal Highway Administration’s Highway Bridge Program ($12 million) and the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Connecting Washington program ($8 million).

Design work, done in collaboration with Jacobs Engineering, began on the project in May 2015, and construction is estimated to start in spring 2019. It will be done in three phases.

Phase one will take most of 2019 and involves demolishing the west bridge sidewalk and constructing the west half of the new bridge. Phase two will take most of 2020 and involves demolishing the remaining part of the west bridge and constructing the second half of the new bridge. The third phase, to be completed in mid-2021, involves constructing the expanded pedestrian and bicycle paths and adding architectural features to the bridge.

To accommodate the new pedestrian and bicycle paths, the new bridge will be about 50 feet wide; the old bridge is 30 feet wide. Both of the new paths will each be 8 feet wide.

Vicente stressed that the bridge will be open during peak hours, with full closures only scheduled for overnight hours. He said the city would be working to ensure everyone, including emergency personnel, knows well ahead of time when the closures will happen.

Addressing a question from those in attendance at the open house, Vicente also said materials from the demolished bridge will be hauled out on trucks, not transported through the Sammamish River or Lake Washington.

He also said some utilities would have to be relocated as part of the project, but only temporary interruptions in service should occur in the neighborhood around the bridge — citywide interruptions shouldn’t occur as a result of the utility relocation.

The East Sammamish River Bridge, which carries northbound traffic on 68th Avenue NE, was built in the 1970s and is in good condition. However, this project does involve adding new railings and lighting to the east bridge, Vicente said.

For more information about the project, including the slideshow presented by Vicente, visit cityofkenmore.com/WestSammamishRiverBridge. Anyone unable to attend the meeting who has questions should contact Vicente at jvicente@kenmorewa.gov or 425-398-8900.

“I am the go-to guy for this project, and if I don’t have the answer, I will find the answer,” he said.

Kenmore Capital Projects Manager John Vicente gives a presentation during an open house for the West Sammamish River Bridge replacement project on Jan. 26 at Kenmore City Hall. CATHERINE KRUMMEY/Kenmore Reporter