Edgewater Bridge connecting Everett, Mukilteo to open April 28

Published 5:05 pm Thursday, April 9, 2026

EVERETT — For residents on the border of Mukilteo and Everett, the long wait for the opening of a new bridge connecting the two cities will finally come to an end later this month.

The newly built Edgewater Bridge will open on April 28, the city of Everett announced Thursday, bringing an end to a year and a half of detours and construction for those in the bridge’s vicinity.

The project faced a litany of delays, even before construction began. City staff initially saw it as a project that could begin in 2022, but it was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental review and an error in the bidding process. In October 2024, the city closed the bridge for construction with a opening planned for late 2025.

In May 2025, that opening was pushed back to early 2026 because construction crews had difficulties installing steel piling, structures used to hold back soil during construction, due to old timber and concrete obstructions underground left behind by a previous bridge structure. Then, in December 2025, the opening was delayed again to April 2026, this time due to an atmospheric river damaging parts of the project, breakdowns in construction vehicles and increased efforts to stabilize steep slopes.

Now, though, the bridge, which saw 6,000 vehicles a day cross it before its closure, will finally be open once more.

The $34.9 million project, largely funded by federal dollars, required the removal of the 366-foot-long, nearly eight-decade-old bridge, as well as the construction of two temporary work platforms to build the replacement structure. All of that took place over a deep ravine with a creek and steep slopes.

The new bridge was built to be more structurally sound in the event of an earthquake. The old bridge was at risk of failure if a major earthquake were to hit the area, city reports found. The replacement bridge is also wider, with sidewalks and bike lanes on both sides of the bridge.

“I’m excited to see the brand-new Edgewater Bridge open again and serving our community,” wrote Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin in a Thursday press release. “Construction brought real impacts – especially to the neighbors who live close to the bridge – but I’m proud to deliver a more structurally sound bridge that’s built to last and ready for the future.”

A celebration event to mark the opening of the bridge is planned for 3:30 p.m. on April 27.

“This celebration is the culmination of a large and complex effort to build a new bridge in a complex site, with challenging geology and spatial constraints,” wrote Ryan Sass, Everett Public Works director, in the press release. “The new bridge is a long-term, high-impact investment in our transportation future. I want to thank our staff and our contractors for taking every step possible to keep the project moving forward despite significant and unexpected challenges.”

Paul Dernier, who lives near the bridge, said the renewed ability for residents on either side to quickly get to nearby shops and restaurants will be a huge benefit.

“When it opens, I think the whole neighborhood will breathe a sigh of relief,” Dernier said.

Although the bridge is opening to cars on April 28, pedestrians will still not be able to access it as some work will be needed to fully complete the project. The city will still have to complete permanent roadway striping, build barriers, implement lighting and finish painting. Until that is completed, the sidewalks will remain closed, the release said.

Depending on the weather, it may take about two to three weeks after the bridge opens to car traffic to complete the rest of the work, city public works spokesperson Kathleen Baxter wrote in an email. The bike lanes also won’t be available until the work is complete, but cyclists can use the travel lane, Baxter wrote.

Don’t get too excited and try to cross early. Before the bridge opens, Baxter wrote, it’s not safe to cross try and cross the bridge yet — on foot, on a bike or in a car — as it’s still an active construction zone.

Finally, residents in the areas between Everett and Mukilteo will have a reprieve from the construction — if only for a short time. The Merrill and Ring Bridge, also located on Mukilteo Boulevard west of the Edgewater Bridge, will be under construction in the coming years, possibly beginning in 2028 or 2029 depending on funding, according to a city website. That bridge is longer, and the project to replace it will likely be more expensive.

Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.