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SEATTLE—
It has been a major east-west thoroughfare across the Duwamish river for 80 years but the Southpark Bridge is no more.It closed to traffic at just after seven Wednesday night and when or if it will be replaced is still up in the air.
We saw the death of a bridge Wednesday night and some fear it could mean the death of the Southpark community if it is not rebuilt.
Amelia Chheang wanted to be a part of South Park Bridge history.
Chheang says, "I Wanted to be the last car across the bridge and I was."
She was the last but there were many, many more who came before her.
Many of them call the bridge; my bridge or our bridge. It's the type of ownership and loyalty one finds when someone or something defines a community.
Sabrina McKinney works nearby. She says, "It will be missed. I really believe it's going to be missed more than whoever decided they couldn't rebuild it is gonna believe."
The reality is after 80 years, the South Park Bridge has reached the end of its useful life. Sad news the King County Department of Transportation had to break to the South Park community.
Linda Dougherty, Director of The King County Roads Department says, "The structure is hugely compromised in terms of its condition and this is the proper time to close it well in advance of us having an immediate safety issue."
The DOT produced A video and put it on Youtube so people could see for themselves up close just how bad the problem had become.
Tugboat Tom, as his friends call him, first saw the bridge in 1949.
He hates to see the old girl go, but he understands why she must.
Tugboat Tom says, "This thing is pretty well shot. Back in 1931 when they built it rebar wasn't that good. It was built in the depression and concrete strength wasn't that strong."
The bridge carried 20-thousand cars a day. Many of them stopped at area businesses and spent money. So what now?
South Part business owner Raymundo Olivas says, "Some businesses are gonna die."
Seattle's Department of Neighborhood Services provided $2000 in grants to help the community find its way.
Many people in South Park don't speak English and knew nothing about detours and alternate bus routes.
The grants helped spread the word in three languages.
