Community members came out in force last night to say their goodbyes to the beloved and iconic South Park Bridge. By foot, bike, car, and bus they traveled the span one last time while Duwamish tribal drummers, bagpipers, and a funeral band played songs of mourning. El Son De Los Diablos dancers processed. Muralists painted the concrete walls of the approaches. Classic cars lined the streets. Voices spilled out of the businesses along 14th Avenue South. After hours of revelry, the seismically vulnerable span was eventually raised to its final resting place as the emotional crowd chanted “we want a bridge!”
If and when funds are secured to build the replacement for this critical link, 4Culture will be there. Artist Barbara Grygutis has been working with the County’s design team since 2008. She plans to fabricate a pedestrian railing that incorporates the historic iron rail panels and gears and site the massive rockers (the mechanisms that were once used to open and close the bridge) like sentinels on either side of the Duwamish…a nod to the integrity and strength of this special place.
