The Magnolia Bridge

The Magnolia Bridge stands as a vital link between the Magnolia neighborhood and the Seattle city core, spanning the picturesque Elliott Bay. Originally constructed in 1929 and rebuilt in 2001, this iconic structure offers stunning panoramic views of the Seattle skyline and Mount Rainier. Its historical significance and architectural charm has made it a beloved landmark, facilitating essential transportation while serving as a symbol of community connectivity and resilience in Seattle's urban landscape.

Historic Timeline

  • 1929

    As the onset of the Great Depression hits Seattle, the Garfield Street Bridge design, planning, and construction begin between 15th Avenue West and Dartmouth Avenue West. The new concrete bridge will replace the existing timber trestle built in 1912.

    Nearly half of the costs of the bridge were paid for by Magnolia businesses and residents, while suppling much needed jobs and community connection during this difficult era.

  • 1930

    Construction was completed and the Garfield Street Bridge is open.

  • 1957

    A new structure over 15th Avenue West on the east end of the bridge was constructed to provide a grade separation from Elliott Avenue West.

  • 1960

    In 1960 the bridge was renamed from the "Garfield Street Bridge" to the "Magnolia Bridge" as a result of community efforts by Magnolia residents and businesses.

  • 1961

    The west half of the bridge was strengthened by installing steel cross-bracing on piers and trusses under deck. The east half was completed in 1974.

  • 1991

    New ramps were added to serve the Elliot Bay Marina. These were connected to the ramp stubs that were left from removal of the old 23rd Avenue trestle in the early 40's. These ramps are concrete with battered steel column supports.

  • 1997

    A landslide damaged piers on the west end of bridge requiring closure until repaired

  • 2001

    The Nisqually earthquake damages over half of the original concrete lateral bracing requiring closure until repaired. The West Galer Street Flyover is also constructed.

  • 2002 -2008

    Planning begins for replacing the Magnolia Bridge. The goals are to meet the needs of the community, update the bridge replacement cost estimate, and create an emergency transportation plan for unexpected closures.

    SDOT received a federal grant to identify a replacement structure. Through this study, the preferred alternative was an in-kind replacement structure just south of the current structure.

  • 2015

    The city, state, and federal agencies signed off on an environmental report that proposed and justified a new bridge.

    The Levy to Move Seattle provided funding to develop additional alternatives and to update cost estimates and traffic analyses of the in-kind replacement structure identified in the 2002-2008 study.

  • 2017

    The Magnolia Bridge Planning Study began analysis to create an emergency access plan, update cost and traffic data for the in-kind replacement and develop additional alternatives to the in-kind replacement structure.

  • 2019

    The Magnolia Bridge Planning Study results are released and provide a weighted comparison of four identified alternatives.

  • 2020

    The WA State Legislature asked SDOT to develop a report on how to improve travel for people and goods in Ballard-Interbay. The Magnolia Bridge was included as part of the transportation corridor studied. On Nov 2, 2020 SDOT submitted the Ballard-Interbay Regional Transportation System (BIRT) report that outlines bridge replacement, multimodal transportation projects and corridor investments.

  • 2024

    MCC is actively working with our representatives to include the Magnolia Bridge and emergency access to the Move Seattle Levy.

    With over 20 years of advocacy MCC continues to work for a 1:1 Magnolia Bridge Replacement.

A history of the Magnolia Bridge

The importance of Magnolia’s bridges.

Magnolia is a peninsula located at the northwest edge of Elliott Bay, approximately five miles from downtown Seattle. With a population of approximately 25,000 residents, Magnolia is connected to Seattle by three bridges: Emerson, Dravus, and Magnolia, all of which cross BNSF rail lines. Our community includes a variety of businesses and residents representing a wide range of economic backgrounds.

Three bus routes operate across the Magnolia Bridge, while one utilizes Emerson Bridge. Within Magnolia, there are three fully-enrolled Seattle Public Schools facilities. Noteworthy landmarks include the 534-acre Discovery Park and the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center. Surrounded by the Port of Seattle to the south and east, as well as Fisherman’s Terminal to the north, Magnolia faces the unique challenge of lacking water-based transit options for both regular and emergency transport needs.

The Magnolia Bridge’s repair summary.

The Magnolia Bridge’s repair summary.

MCC’s Assessment of the current status of the Magnolia Bridge Replacement.

  • MCC and its Board of Trustees agree with this Seattle Times editorial: “When you know the roof will fail in a few years, you start saving to replace it”. Seattle procrastinated with the Magnolia Bridge and now the city is writing studies to justify abandoning the ‘roof’ and getting by with a ‘blue tarp’.

    Following a six-year, federally funded, SDOT-led process that examined replacing the Magnolia Bridge after the Nisqually earthquake (2006) Seattle’s then Mayor Nickels and SDOT designated a 1:1 (In-Kind) replacement for the Magnolia Bridge a Preferred Alternative with 30% engineering, a draft Environmental Assessment, and no funding plan.

  • In May 2015, SDOT, WSDOT, and FHWA signed off on the updated Environmental Assessment.

  • The 2015 Move Seattle Levy included funding to look at emergency planning in the event of a Magnolia Bridge failure. SDOT used this funding to examine alternatives that did not include the 1:1, In-Kind replacement. Magnolia organized and raised enough concern that SDOT put In-Kind replacement back on the table, but it was not examined equally. SDOT clearly preferred an Armory Way alternative, and weighted assessments for that outcome. To that end, the In-Kind replacement was treated as an inferior option despite the fact that community, Port of Seattle, Sound Transit, and BNSF rated it highest.

  • In 2019, WA-State Legislature allocated $750K to examine the Ballard Interbay Regional Transportation System study (BIRT), specifically to include evaluating Magnolia and Ballard Bridge replacements.

  • In BIRT (2020), SDOT again downplayed community input in favor of an Armory Way alternative; the final report neither accurately captured a full historical perspective that previously designated 1:1 (In-Kind) replacement as a Preferred Alternative, nor broader communities’ overwhelmingly support for 1:1 (In-Kind) reiterated through the BIRT study process.

  • As of 2024, MCC has continued to advocate for a in-kind replacement for the Magnolia Bridge, and has worked to ensure Magnolia is represented in the Levy to Move Seattle. Read MCC’s Letter to Bruce Harrell, Select Committee on 2024 Transportation Levy, and SDOT Director, Greg Spotts.

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A special thank you to Janis Traven for her 20+ years of advocacy and institutional knowledge of the Magnolia Bridge.  And to the Magnolia Historical Society, the Seattle Municipal Archives and Historicalbridges.org for helping us share this story through their photos and historical records.