Inspection reports show cracks on West Seattle Bridge since 2013

SEATTLE - Inspection reports released by the Seattle Department of Transportation show that cracks have been present on the West Seattle Bridge since 2013.

On a typical weekday, more than 100,000 vehicles travel on the bridge, which has been closed since late March.

According to SDOT, the release of the inspection reports is show the department's proactive monitoring effort through frequent inspections of the bridge infrastructure.

A inspection report from August 2013 showed that a part of the bridge, which is noted as Segment 11, which approaches midspan, was already showing "numerous cracks."

The cracks, however, were not significant enough to close bridge traffic.

Annual inspections of the bridge continued from 2014-2019 and showed low-level crack growth, according to SDOT reports.

In 2014, a technical assessment memo from an engineering consultant firm recommended fixes to the cracks like epoxy grout, and using carbon fiber strips to reinforce the stiffness of the cracked slab.

Another consultant group issued another report in January 2019.

"The cracks do pose a threat to the long-term performance as they allow for the ingress of moisture, chlorides and oxygen which can accelerate corrosion of reinforcing steel," the report said.

Inspectors noticed the crack growth from October-December of last year.

But it was another inspection in February of this year that showed the cracks were becoming more concerning. Inspectors recommended reducing traffic load on the bridge from two lanes in each direction. They also said work should begin this year to fix the bridge.

By mid-March, the cracks were no longer "static," but instead "dynamic," meaning the infrastructure is very concerning for everyday commuting.

Mayor Jenny Durkan announced the bridge closure on March 23. There's no timeline on when it could reopen.

You can read the inspection reports on SDOT's website.