SEATTLE -- Last summer, the old South Park Bridge was shut down forever, leading to much public outcry. But on Thursday, the neighborhood is celebrating a groundbreaking ceremony to make way for a new bridge.
The new South Park Bridge will be built right next to the old one over the Duwamish River. City and state leaders will be oh hand for a big community celebration.
Restaurants and shops in the area said they've seen a drop in business since the bridge was shut down, according to Andres Mantilla with the City Of Seattle's Office of Economic Development (OED).
Mantilla said there's a real sense of relief the new bridge got the funding to be built. The problem was the bridge closure cut off the main connection to this neighborhood.
The bridge was closed due to safety issues on the nearly 80-year-old structure. About 20,000 commuters used the old South Park Bridge daily; about 14 percent of that was truck traffic.
King County Project Manager Timothy Lane said the new bridge will have wider, traffic, bike and pedestrian lanes. The county said it's a vital bridge, because it's one of only a few river crossings connecting to industrial areas.
But the two-and-half year construction will impact traffic.
"Just be patient. There will be heavy equipment and street closures, but we're trying our best to keep the community informed. There's a lot of interest in this project," said Lane.
It will entail some major traffic impacts: South Orr Street near the bridge will closed throughout this project. Other streets that will also be impacted: Dallas Ave South 14th Ave South And South Sullivan Street. There will be access to businesses in South Park during construction.
Many agencies are funding this $95 million project, from the Port and City Of Seattle, King County also there federal funding, plus Boeing is pledging millions of dollars. The new bridge is expected to open in August 2013.
Thursday's festivities begin at 1:30 p.m. Several lawmakers will attend, including Governor Chris Gregoire, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Seattle Mayor Michael McGinn, Seattle City councilmembers and others.
Following the groundbreaking ceremony, the city's Office of Economic Development will host a City Business Casual networking event at three local restaurants along 14th Ave South: Muy Macho, Jaliscos and Napoli Pizzeria Ristorante from 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. with City of Seattle, King County and Port of Seattle elected officials.
Business and community leaders will mingle with local officials while sampling South Park food and learning about the efforts of the local business community to reinvigorate their local business district.
In addition, in the afternoon and early evening, South Park Arts (SPARTS) and the Environmental Coalition of South Seattle (ECOSS) will host the South Park 1st Cinco de Mayo Community Festival.
Activities will include crafts for children, a 26-foot piñata replica of the new bridge, music, art and a fire performance. The community hopes that visitors will come down and enjoy the festivities and catch the culture.
CLICK HERE for a complete schedule of the groundbreaking festivities in South Park.
