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Fort Crook Road bridges closed; council approves detailed inspection after 7‑inch settlement found
Summary
City staff reported a roughly 7‑inch drop in one span of the Fort Crook Road bridges. Council approved an amendment for an in‑depth inspection; staff said repair could cost around $5 million while full replacement could run much higher and would likely require state or federal funding.
City staff told the Bellevue City Council on Dec. 17 that a recent inspection found approximately a 7‑inch settlement on one span of the Fort Crook Road bridges, prompting closure of that span and approval of an additional inspection contract to determine the full extent of structural distress.
Dave (city staff), the city’s bridge/engineering contact, described early findings to the council: concrete supporting steel girders on the west-side span has eroded, producing the settlement. He said the east-side span is built differently and has not shown the same exposure. “We’re thinking somewhere if it’s in a repair mode, this thing could go as high as 5,000,000 for what that bridge would cost to repair it,” Dave said; he added that replacement could exceed tens of millions of dollars depending on the final engineering assessment.
Council approved an amendment with HGM Associates to perform a closer inspection that will include crane access beneath the spans and arm’s-length inspection of key members. Staff said the final written report should be available in about 30 days and that further options will be evaluated after that report, including whether to pursue state or federal grant funding for repair or replacement.
Councilmembers pressed staff on timing, likely next steps, and interim traffic management. Staff described the two spans as separate structures (built at different times and with different materials) and said one span’s piers appear to have experienced recent, rapid degradation. Staff also said traffic can be detoured using Kennedy and other routes while the closed span remains out of service; they noted the bridge carries heavy truck loads and that catching the defect before a vehicle incident likely prevented a worse outcome.
No final engineering determination was made at the meeting; staff said the inspection will determine whether repair or replacement is appropriate and that replacement would likely require external grant funding and a multi‑year process.
