09/25/2002

TRICIA MANNING-SMITH / KING 5 News

SEATTLE - Magnolia residents are being asked to weigh in on a replacement for the earthquake-damaged Magnolia Bridge.

The 70-year-old structure received $3.5 million worth of upgrades after the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake forced it to be closed for four months.

But Seattle engineers say studies show the bridge is still susceptible to damage and needs to be replaced.

Construction on a new $100-million bridge is scheduled to start in 2006, four years earlier than previously planned.

More than 18,000 people drive the Magnolia Bridge every day. The bridge is made of concrete and steel and is one of three that connect Magnolia with the rest of Seattle.

Richard brown makes the trip several times a day. Brown says he dreads construction of a new bridge, but says it's better than the one that's there now.

"it does make quite a mess when the bridge is down, after the earthquake," he said.

And he's not at all confident that it would survive another one.

"I could see if definitely coming apart again," he said, adding that he wouldn't want to be on it when the big one hit.

Even though Lee Sanders would pay extra taxes if required for a new Magnolia Bridge, he's not convinced it's needed.

"I feel safe on it. I think it should be reinforced above what it has been, but I don't think it needs to be replaced," he said.

Iris Shashona has extreme phobias of bridges, having survived a California earthquake.

She doesn't put faith in modern technology. When it comes to tangling with the forces of nature.

"It's a fantasy to say 'if they rebuild it, it'll be safer.' In reality, if we have a big earthquake, nothing is going to be able to keep it up."