N 102nd St/Aurora Ave N Pedestrian Bridge Seismic Retrofit

Updated March 18, 2025

What's Happening Now?

We’ve reopened the N 102nd St/Aurora Ave N pedestrian bridge as construction on retrofits to help the bridge better withstand earthquakes is nearly complete!

Improving Resistance:

Here’s what we’ve done to make the bridge stronger and less vulnerable in the event of an earthquake:

We strengthened the bridge’s structure by adding a durable carbon fiber wrap and adjusting the joints and end block.
We added flexible components to help the bridge better withstand movement during an earthquake.
We built support elements including walls and foundations for the bridge’s ramp and staircases to improve stability.

What’s left to do:

Final construction activities include replacing temporary plates and railing on the bridge.
While crews finish these remaining tasks, there will be occasional, short-term lane and bridge closures. We’ll share updates about these closures as they become available.

A pedestrian bridge with orange railings and pink-purple panels curves over Aurora Ave N at sunset. Trees and a mural-covered building are in the background.

The photo above shows the retrofitted N 102nd St/Aurora Ave N pedestrian bridge, featuring vibrant railings and accessibility upgrades, helps people safely cross over Aurora Ave N (March 2025, SDOT).

Full project completion is expected by summer 2025.

To receive project updates, sign up to join our project listserv.

Project overview

Earthquakes could have a major impact on Seattle’s infrastructure. To address seismic risks to city infrastructure, the City of Seattle established a bridge seismic program to assess how vulnerable the City’s bridges were to earthquakes, and to retrofit bridges to better withstand the potential impacts of an earthquake.

As part of the Levy to Move Seattle, 16 bridges were selected for seismic retrofits, including the N 102nd St/Aurora Ave N Pedestrian Bridge. The N 102nd St/Aurora Ave N Pedestrian Bridge is an older bridge constructed prior to the modernization of the seismic design code. The bridge provides a more direct connection across Aurora Ave N for the Greenwood and Licton Springs neighborhoods.

The photo below shows the N 102nd St/Aurora Ave N Pedestrian Bridge before seismic retrofit upgrades.

The existing N 102nd St/Aurora Ave N Pedestrian Bridge before seismic retrofit construction. The bridge spans across a multi-lane road with businesses and trees lining the street. Its railings are painted in a gradient of red, orange, and purple, and accessibility ramps are visible on both sides

We're not changing the current use and operation of the bridge. The N 102nd St/Aurora Ave N Pedestrian Bridge seismic retrofit will strengthen existing bridge components and reduce the bridge’s vulnerability to earthquakes. Major construction work includes:

Strengthening the bridge’s superstructure.
Separating the main span from the ramp and the staircase by adding new expansion joints.
Building support systems for the ramp and staircase.

What to expect during construction

Construction began in June 2024 and is expected to finish by summer 2025.

In addition to temporary car travel lanes closures, we currently anticipate the following construction impacts:

Work in the public right-of-way near your home or business
Temporary sidewalk and crossing closures for people walking and rolling.
Temporary side street closures.
- Side street closure includes 102nd Avenue
Temporary on-street parking restrictions, with "no park" signs placed 72 hours in advance
A full closure of the bridge during construction. We will notify nearby homes at least two weeks in advance and again 72 hours before the closure.
Staged construction equipment and materials as well as noise, dust, and vibrations in the work area
Typical weekday work hours of 7 AM – 5 PM, Monday through Friday

Project schedule

30% Design	Complete
60% Design	Complete
90% Design	Complete
Final Design	Complete
Construction Began	June 2024

Construction schedules are also subject to change and depend on factors such as weather and availability of crews and materials.

Funding

The project is funded through the Levy to Move Seattle. Approved by voters in 2015, the 9-year, $930 million Levy to Move Seattle provides funding to improve safety for all travelers, maintain our streets and bridges, and invest in reliable, affordable travel options for a growing city.

Get Involved

We're committed to keeping you informed and working with neighbors to limit construction impacts to the extent feasible. Here are some ways to get more information about the project:

Sign up for our project listserv to receive weekly project updates
Email the project team at BridgeSeismicRetrofit@seattle.gov
Leave a voicemail at (206) 775-8734. A project representative will return your call.

Materials

Project Fact Sheet (June 2024)

Translation and interpretation

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