The City of Everett has extended the completion date for the Edgewater Bridge to April 2026, citing ongoing weather impacts and equipment-related challenges that have slowed construction.
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The bridge, which connects Everett and Mukilteo by carrying West Mukilteo Boulevard over Edgewater Creek, was originally expected to open in fall 2025. City officials announced the latest delay last week following continued disruptions that affected the project’s critical construction path.
While the opening has been postponed, the city said substantial progress has been made on the project. All bridge substructure work is complete, abutments on both sides have been poured, and all 18 girders have been installed.
Despite these milestones, construction has been hampered by persistent weather events, including high winds and flooding, along with multiple equipment failures.
“The contractor has experienced several notable challenges that have resulted in delays in the critical path toward roadway opening, including continued issues resulting from working on a slope with soft soils subject to destabilization,” the city said in a press release.
One major setback occurred in October, when an atmospheric river brought heavy rainfall to the North Sound. According to the city, storm drains west of the bridge became clogged and overflowed, destabilizing the construction area and damaging project infrastructure.
Equipment issues have also played a role. Two cranes used for heavy lifting and material placement broke down during construction. In addition, crews encountered abandoned asbestos-containing material that required abatement, along with delays tied to state-mandated inspections and continued slope stabilization work on the Everett side of the bridge.
“Though the contractor has made numerous efforts to recover workdays by implementing parallel tasks, such as working on drainage, slope stability and retaining walls simultaneously, the contractor will be unable to meet the expected first quarter 2026 date for reopening Mukilteo Boulevard to traffic…,” the release said.
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The extended closure has significantly affected nearby residents and businesses. According to previous reporting by The Herald, some commutes that once took just minutes now require up to half an hour, while local businesses have reported reduced customer traffic.
The Edgewater Bridge was originally built 78 years ago and carries roughly 6,000 vehicles per day. Although it remained safe for daily use, engineers determined the structure was vulnerable to failure during a major earthquake, prompting the replacement project.
Once completed, the new bridge will feature wider lanes and improved multimodal access, including 12-foot travel lanes in each direction, 6.5-foot sidewalks on both sides, and 5-foot bike lanes between the roadway and sidewalks.
Following the bridge’s completion, the city plans to begin upgrades to Edgewater Park.
The bridge replacement remains budgeted at $34 million, with $28 million funded through federal grants. City officials have not indicated further budget increases tied to the schedule extension.
Construction crews are expected to continue working through early 2026, with reopening of Mukilteo Boulevard and the bridge anticipated in April, pending weather conditions and final inspections.
Originally reported by Everett Post.
