West Seattle Bridge ramp closed for 10 days as workers plug giant pothole

The northbound State Route 99 ramp from the West Seattle Bridge will remain shut down to traffic for at least ten days as authorities are working to plug a giant hole in the ramp day and night.

“Our crews are hard at work again this morning on the NB SR 99 on-ramp from the West Seattle Bridge EB where the ramp remains closed,” the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said in a tweet.

“Thank you for your patience as they work to continue clearing out concrete so they can get started on the next phase of the repair.”

It earlier said the 5-by-4-foot hole was discovered around 10pm on Tuesday night and people were urged to seek alternate routes.

The department tweeted Wednesday that crews were evaluating the extent of the repairs and that “our early estimate is that this may be closed for around 10 days.”

Officials said that time frame is based on how long it took to fix another hole about 100 feet away last year. “Drivers in the area are advised use alternate routes during the closure and prepare for possible delays,” it added.

"Figuring out what parts are stable, what parts are not that are not visible, like the hole," said James Poling, communications manager for WSDOT. 

"Then after that, we’ll know the extent of the repairs, making sure we understand what sections need to be repaired. It’s not as simple as pouring concrete. We could do that but when we’d have the hole and be back here in three days."

Talking to the media, WSDOT spokesperson James Poling said they know it was an inconvenience and crews were working as fast as possible.

Crews do routine preservation work but there are about 24,000 pieces of the bridge deck that they oversee, he added.

"We know that's a very big frustration for the West Seattle community who's already experienced a lot with the West Seattle Bridge closure, but we want to make sure this ramp is safe before we reopen it," Poling said.

WSDOT said the ramp was inspected on August 9, 2022, and showed no indication this would happen, but noted the road was more than 60 years old.

The fix isn't "as simple as pouring concrete and letting it sit," Poling said.