Seattle's Waterfront Park closes after 'substantial' shift of Pier 58

Seattle's waterfront businesses have already felt the impacts of the slow tourism season caused by COVID-19 this summer.

Now, aging infrastructure might also become a problem as structural shifting of Pier 58 has forced the closure of the Waterfront Park between Miner's Landing and the Seattle Aquarium.

On Aug. 5, Seattle Parks and Recreation became aware of a waterline failure at Pier 58 and the possibility of substantial shifting. Engineers arrived and observed a visible gap between the pier and upland, prompting the closure until more structural analysis was completed.

"Once onsite, staff confirmed that the pier had in fact shifted by several inches, creating a visible gap between the Pier and the adjacent upland. The seawall itself is also regularly monitored and has not shifted; these two structures are engineered to be separate," wrote Seattle Parks and Recreation in a blog post.

Pier 58 is now fenced off, closing access to pedestrians and visitors who might want to take in the views of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains.

The decay seems to have occurred when the city was constructing the new seawall between 2013 and 2017, a project meant to restore habitats and help the waterfront withstand possible earthquakes.

The city has been closely monitoring the deterioration since 2016, and metal plates were installed in 2017 and 2019 to bridge the gap between the pier and land.

"It is normal for piers to shift with tides, and to shift over the years," wrote city officials.

The replacement for the pier has already been designed, and construction is expected to start in 2022. The new pier is expected to have a public plaza, children's play area and lawn for families to sit out and picnic.

Both Miner's Landing and the Seattle Aquarium are not affected by the closure. Engineers are expected to release a report later this week detailing the state of the pier.

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