Bellevue Pedestrian Bridge Closed Over Structural Concerns

BELLEVUE, WA - The pedestrian bridge over Northeast 12th Street will remain closed due to structural concerns, according to Bellevue city officials. The bridge was closed Friday, and construction crews took steps to stabilize the bridge protect drivers.

Here's more from the city of Bellevue:

Due to structural concerns involving an older pedestrian bridge downtown, city workers closed Northeast 12th Street, from 108th to 110th Avenue Northeast, at 7 p.m. today while crews stabilize the structure.

The road closure is scheduled to last 24 hours. After that, the bridge and the areas beneath it will remain closed to pedestrians and bicyclists while city transportation officials evaluate the scope and timing of permanent repairs.

The emergency road closure was ordered after inspectors today raised safety concerns during an assessment to determine long-term maintenance needs. The wooden structure has some areas of decay that were hidden under the steel connections.

Pedestrian access to King County's Bellevue Library, located at 1111 110th Ave. NE, will be maintained to and from the east.

The bridge was built in the early 1970's when Northeast 12th Street was constructed. It connected the neighborhood to the north to an elementary school, now gone, on the south side of the street.

The pedestrian bridge is inspected every 24 months, according to federal regulations. The last time it was inspected before today was in May 2018. It was determined that further inspection was warranted.

Image via Google Maps