Final report: West Sammamish Bridge work finished but habitat monitoring continues through 2028

Engineering Director John Vicente presented a final project report on the West Sammamish Bridge, describing contract closeout work, remaining permit obligations and long-term monitoring tied to wetland and habitat restoration.

The new bridge, which opened to traffic in 2022, replaced earlier spans built in 1917 and 1938. Vicente told the council that final contract work continued into late 2024 because of delays in electrical components, supply-chain problems and agency approvals. Certain lighting electronics required parts that took many months to replace.

Vicente said the city must monitor restored wetland and habitat areas through 2028 per permit conditions and perform corrective actions — including replacement plantings and invasive-weed removal — as needed. He also reviewed construction facts: the project used an estimated 3,600 cubic yards of concrete and about 400,000 pounds of steel; it removed roughly 640,000 pounds of old bridge piers and installed piles and shafts that support the new structure.

Funding and costs

Vicente reported an overall project cost of about $42 million. Of that total, roughly $38 million came from grants, $1.8 million from utilities and approximately $2.2 million from the city. He said the city will continue maintenance obligations, including annual bridge inspections, lighting replacement and landscaping upkeep.

Contracting and schedule

The project began with planning activity in the 2010s, design work through 2018 and construction that started in 2020. Vicente told the council the pandemic, supply-chain shortages and a later government shutdown contributed to delays. He said contract finish work took longer than anticipated because of specialty parts that were shipped from overseas and lengthy permitting with many agencies.

Vicente also described construction logistics: crews performed about 350 diver hours to remove old footings; traffic-control work consumed about 1,500 hours; police assisted for roughly 300 hours; and the project recorded some 75,000 human hours on-site. The city also archived documentation: the project generated about 29,000 photos, roughly 70 videos and 36 boxes of paperwork that will be retained per federal-funding requirements.

Council reactions and ceremony

Council members praised project staff for managing a complex, multiagency project. The council held a lighthearted ceremonial ribbon-cutting acknowledging the 36 boxes of retained project paperwork.

Why it matters

The replacement bridge restored a long-serving river crossing, added a promenade and overlook, improved bike and pedestrian amenities, and included programmed lighting and wetland restoration. The monitoring and reporting obligations mean staff and the city will be responsible for ongoing maintenance and permit compliance for several years.