MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Concrete strike’s impact on West Seattle Bridge timeline unclear as SDOT makes final pours

May 24, 2022, 3:50 PM

west seattle bridge...

The West Seattle Bridge (Sounder Bruce via Flickr)

(Sounder Bruce via Flickr)

The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) still hopes to open the West Seattle Bridge in “mid-2022,” according to a spokesperson with the transportation agency. A to-be-announced, updated timeline will be delivered on June 9.

“Our construction contractor is planning to finish the final structural concrete pours this week, marking the end of a challenging process that has affected our reopening schedule,” SDOT’s Ethan Bergerson wrote to MyNorthwest.

SDOT contracts with Kraemer North America for the West Seattle Bridge. A Kraemer spokesperson declined to comment on whether the reopening would be pushed beyond that mid-2022 timeframe.

“Some delays have been associated with the concrete strike earlier in the year. Those after-effects continue. And then you’ve got just some normal supply chain issues that have been created in this post-pandemic world.”

Kraemer declined to elaborate on what those supply-chain issues entailed.

Cadman – Lehigh Hanson is the primary concrete supplier for the repair project. A shop steward with the supplier alleges that Kraemer was not ready to receive the specialized concrete required for structural pours after the Teamsters’ strike lines broke March 15, and some deliveries to the West Seattle Bridge resumed April 5.

Employers deny claims of collusion, price-fixing as Seattle-area concrete strike nears fifth month

“I was the first truck that was out to that job site when we came back from strike … We did expansion joints, which is not part of the structural part of the bridge … The first time they actually did any structural concrete to that bridge was April 16,” the Cadman shop steward told MyNorthwest.

In February, civic leaders, including Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, King County Executive Dow Constantine, and Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff made a press appearance in which they called on the Teamsters and suppliers to reach an agreement before Feb. 20, otherwise critical infrastructure repair, including the West Seattle Bridge, would run the risk of delays.

“When they said that they needed concrete, and they were ready Feb. 19 [Feb. 20], that was a flat-out lie,” the shop steward noted, referencing the timeline put forth by Mayor Harrell and company.

Kraemer calls that allegation “neither true nor accurate.”

“We pour all the time. So there are elements that were ready when mid-April was around. And some elements are yet to be formed,” the spokesperson for Kraemer added. They noted that, specifically, post-tensioning on the north girder was ready for concrete when Cadman ended their strike.

After this week’s final structural concrete pours, there is a review of post-tensioning work completed to make any real-time adjustments needed.

MyNorthwest News

Lil Woody's burger...

MyNorthwest Staff

Popular Seattle burger chain expanding to another city in western WA

A renowned Seattle burger and shake chain announces its exciting expansion to another city in western Washington.

6 hours ago

Falls Creek 17 year old hiker...

Jason Sutich

17-year-old hiker dies after 30-foot fall at Falls Creek

A 17-year-old female hiker died after a 30-foot fall at Falls Creek Falls, highlighting the dangers of popular hiking spots.

7 hours ago

child care wa income...

Frank Sumrall

Study: WA families spend third-highest percentage of income on child care

Washington residents spend the third-highest percentage of their income on child care in the nation, according to a WalletHub study.

8 hours ago

ICE using health care data...

Heather Bosch

AG Nick Brown joins lawsuit, says you shouldn’t be deported just for seeing a doctor

AG Nick Brown opposes using health data for deportation, advocating for patient privacy in Washington's multi-state lawsuit.

8 hours ago

Travis Decker search...

Julia Dallas

Dead or alive? Authorities still unsure as Travis Decker manhunt reaches week 5

Authorities persist in the search for Travis Decker, accused of killing his daughters near Leavenworth.

9 hours ago

Clark County data lawsuit...

Jason Sutich

Residents file lawsuits claiming Clark County mishandled private information in data breach

Residents accuse Clark County of failing to protect private information in a recent data breach, prompting legal action.

10 hours ago

Concrete strike’s impact on West Seattle Bridge timeline unclear as SDOT makes final pours