Bothell getting head start on a better bridge across Sammamish River

BOTHELL — A bridge across the Sammamish River in Bothell is being targeted for upgrades.

The city of Bothell received nearly $1.1 million from the federal government for a study of the bridge, which goes over both the river and Highway 522. The project — known as the 102nd Ave NE Bridge Replacement Planning Study — is expected to cost a little over $1.3 million and will include planning for a widened shared-use path and a crash-tested barrier for the busy road connecting downtown Bothell to communities south of its core.

It’s an effort to make a safer roadway, according to the federal Department of Transportation. The money is coming from a competitive grant program run by the Federal Highway Administration called the Bridge Investment Program.

“Using funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Biden-Harris Administration continues to actively address the backlog of bridges needing repairs, making our roads and highways safer and our supply chains stronger,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a release. “The Bridge Investment Program Planning grants we’re announcing today will provide much-needed resources to communities nationwide so they can complete the plans and studies required to move forward with important bridge projects.”

In February, U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Medina, penned a letter to Buttigieg urging funding for the project. The bridge is nearing the end of its lifespan and needs to be replaced, she wrote.

“This planning grant will help improve a critical connection to south Bothell, that seniors can access the Senior Center and their housing facilities, that folks can connect to the regional trail system, and that local commuters can continue to get across town,” Mayor Mason Thompson said in a press release.

Jordan Hansen: 425-339-3046; jordan.hansen@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @jordyhansen.