Everett, Mukilteo celebrate opening of Edgewater Bridge

Published 9:46 am Tuesday, April 28, 2026

EVERETT — Hundreds of Everettites and Mukilteans gathered at the meeting point of the two cities on Monday to celebrate the opening of the Edgewater Bridge after a year-and-a-half long closure.

The 366-foot-long bridge, which saw 6,000 vehicles cross it daily before its October 2024 closure, was rebuilt entirely as part of a nearly $35 million project. Officials say the bridge between Everett and Mukilteo will serve the two cities for the next 100 years.

It is great news for the hundreds of residents that traveled back and forth between both municipalities, who have faced lengthy detours for the past 18 months.

“It’s not lost on me how connected these two communities area, and you feel that more today bringing it back together,” Mukilteo Mayor Joe Marine said Monday. “You don’t know what you have until its gone, right?

At Monday’s celebration, hundreds of people (and dozens of dogs) took to the bridge to take part in a celebratory crossing from the Everett side to the Mukilteo side. Among those who led the way were a group of bicyclists, celebrating the bridge’s new bike lanes.

“We didn’t just replace what was here,” Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin said. “We made it better. We added the 5-foot bike lanes, widened sidewalks. It really improves the accessibility and makes it safer for everyone.”

Everett City Council member Luis Burbano, an advocate for bike safety in the city, rode his bike to to the celebration and was excited about the bridge’s upgrade.

“Bridges connect communities, especially when they have bicycle lanes,” Burbano said. “These are great improvements.”

The aging Edgewater Bridge, built in 1946, was in need of replacement. Although it was safe to drive on before it closed, it operated under weight restrictions and was vulnerable to failure in the event of a major earthquake, the city had found.

The $34.9 million project to replace the Edgewater Bridge was mostly paid for by a federal grant. It features improved lighting and wider lanes than the previous bridge, with sidewalks and bike lanes in both directions. Concrete poles on either end of the bridge are marked with the names of the city, either Everett or Mukilteo, that drivers, walkers and cyclists are traveling toward.

It was a project beset by a number of delays. The city first aimed to start construction in 2022, but delayed it until 2024 because of the pandemic, environmental review and an error in the bidding process. It closed for construction in October 2024, with an opening planned for late 2025.

Once construction started, more complications led to more delays. Crews had difficulties installing steel piling due to old timber and concrete obstructions underground that were left behind by a previous bridge. An atmospheric river, breakdowns in construction vehicles and increased efforts to stabilize the steep slopes also caused the opening date to be pushed back.

“I know it’s been a long time coming,” Franklin said. “I just want to thank this community, not only for showing up in force today, but for your incredible patience as we worked on this very important project.”

Monday’s celebration featured giveaways of stickers, hot dogs and free clam chowder from the Ivar’s on Mukilteo’s waterfront. John Jelinek, a manager at the Mukilteo Ivar’s, said the restaurant brought about 10 gallons of chowder to serve throughout the event. He’s most excited about the renewed connectivity the new bridge will bring back to the area.

“More than anything, its just nice to see the community get together,” Jelinek said.

The bridge officially opens to car traffic on Tuesday. Pedestrians will have to wait a few weeks to safely cross it as construction crews need to complete roadway striping, build barriers, implement lighting and finish painting. The sidewalks will be closed until that work is done. Bike lanes also won’t be available yet, but cyclists can ride in the travel lane.

The older Merrill and Ring Creek Bridge, located just up the road on Mukilteo Boulevard, will also need replacing, with construction planned to begin in 2028 or 2029, pending funding. The Maple Heights Bridge, another bridge along the road, underwent seismic retrofitting in 2020.

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