Skanska has inked a $1.4 billion contract to replace the Portage Bay Bridge in Seattle, the Sweden-based contractor and developer announced Wednesday.
The firm will begin construction in August, with anticipated completion in 2031.
The project will replace the existing Portage Bay Bridge to ensure it is better protected from seismic activity. The span connects the Eastlake and Montlake neighborhoods just north of Seattle’s Capitol Hill.
The current bridge was built in the 1960s and is nearing the end of its functional life, according to the Washington State DOT: The four-lane bridge is supported by hollow concrete columns, which could collapse in a major earthquake.
In addition, Skanska will build a new landscaped freeway lid to cover the highway west of the span with approximately 3 acres of neighborhood open space and local trails for non-motorized traffic between Seattle’s Roanoke Park and North Capitol Hill neighborhoods.
The bridge replacement is part of the State Route 520 Replacement and HOV Program, and a key piece of improvements to the SR 520 corridor in Seattle.