The West Sammamish River Bridge project has been delayed a year
The City of Kenmore notified the community that due to the prolonged federal government shutdown in December and January, the West Sammamish River Bridge Replacement Project will be delayed by a year. The shutdown delayed the permit approvals required from NOAA and National Park Service, whose employees were furloughed during the shutdown. The delay in permits caused the contractor to miss the annual fish window, the annual time-frame during which salmon are not in the area of the river impacted by the project.
The city expects the delay to increase costs of the project. The bridge carries 28,000 vehicles per day and the West lanes were originally built in the 1930s.