Salmon Bone Bridge Rehabilitation Project

Before: deteriorated bridge deck. After: bridge decking replaced with Corten steel.

Project description

The Salmon Bone Bridge was designed by renowned Seattle-based artist Lorna Jordan and was installed in 1999 as part of the Longfellow Creek Habitat Improvement Project. The bridge was designed to invoke the skeletal structure of a fish and the deck was made from recycled cedar timbers arranged in a herringbone pattern. The Bridge is also known as the Adams Fish Bridge.           

Since then, the timber bridge deck deteriorated and became unsafe. As a result, in 2020, SPU covered the deck with plywood and an anti-slip surface, which altered the bridge’s aesthetic. This project honored the artist’s original vision while improving pedestrian safety by replacing the deck with Cordeck Dots. This weathering steel product is a long-lasting option that mimics the visual appearance of the original deck, while providing slip resistance and a long service life.

SPU replaced the deck in the summer of 2024. The restored bridge preserves the artist’s original design, but is more durable, accessible, safer, and requires less maintenance.

Location

The Salmon Bone Bridge is near the Dragonfly Garden and Pavilion (also designed by Lorna Jordan) on Longfellow Creek in West Seattle, in the greenspace between SW Nevada St/SW Yancy St and 28th Ave SW/26th Ave SW. 

What's happening now?

Bridge decking improvements were completed in October 2024, and the bridge is now re-opened.

Community benefits

• Improved pedestrian safety
• Improved pedestrian access to the bridge, especially for the sight-impaired