North Aberdeen Bridge Project

Welcome to the City of Aberdeen’s North Aberdeen Bridge project website.

The City is exploring options to improve the North Aberdeen Bridge for residents, visitors, and businesses. The project team aims to address the aging and deteriorating bridge conditions, which will improve access, safety, and traffic flow, while preserving the legacy of one of Aberdeen’s most famous icons: Kurt Cobain.

We invite you to contribute to shaping the future of the North Aberdeen Bridge by sharing your thoughts and insights. Your participation is invaluable in our efforts to make Aberdeen an even better place. Please explore the information below and learn more about the bridge alternatives on the inital alternatives page. Continue reading for project goals and opportunities to engage.

About the project

The North Aberdeen Bridge is a two-lane bridge that was built in 1956 and carries Young Street across the Wishkah River. This bridge is a crucial link that helps residents and visitors travel between North Aberdeen and the Downtown area (see Figure 1). The City is kicking off the Alternatives Analysis phase that will help determine a long-term solution to fix the aging and deteriorating bridge. The project team will focus on the following goals as they work through the Alternatives Analysis phase:

  1. Fix the bridge’s structural safety problems: provide a bridge solution that meets current design and safety standards.
  2. Meet funding guidelines: complete the design phase of the project by September 1, 2026, to be eligible for 100% of the grant amount.
  3. Remember Kurt Cobain: Develop a bridge solution that will honor the significance of Kurt Cobain’s connection to the bridge and the surrounding area.
  4. Keep access to North Aberdeen open: develop a plan that will maintain access to North Aberdeen during construction.
  5. Make it safer for everyone: make the bridge work better for people who walk, bike, and drive so that everyone can get around safely.
Aerial view of existing North Aberdeen Bridge site and connections between North Aberdeen and the rest of the City of Aberdeen.
Figure 1: Existing project area and connection between North Aberdeen and the rest of the city (click on image to enlarge).
Labeled map of the current project area
Figure 2: Existing bridge location in relation to the rest of Aberdeen (click on image to enlarge).


Key project objectives

As the project team works to develop a solution for the North Aberdeen Bridge project, the following key objectives will be considered to help the City achieve the desired benefits:

Objective Benefit
Provide 'structurally sufficient' access across Wishkah River Reduce City costs for bridge repairs and maintenance
Work within $23.1M Project Grant Avoid need for additional funding source
Obligate construction funding by Sept. 2026 Avoid 13% local match for grant = $3M
Minimize impacts to surroundings Maintain Kurt Cobain significance; cohesive solution with North Shore Levee project
Maintain vehicle access to N. Aberdeen during construction Avoid rerouting traffic up Think-of-Me Hill

View the carousel below to see some of the key issues and needs for the project.

Project team

The City of Aberdeen Public Works staff is working with a consultant team, led by David Evans and Associates, Inc., to develop solutions for the North Aberdeen Bridge project.

City of Aberdeen Project Management Team

  • Kyle Fisher, Project Manager
  • Nick Bird, City Engineer
  • Rick Sangder, Public Works Director

Consultant Team

  • David Evans and Associates, Inc. (DEA)—Prime Consultant
  • AquaTerra (Cultural/Historical)
  • EnviroIssues (Public Outreach)
  • EPIC (R/W Acquisition)
  • Exeltech (Utility Design)
  • Ott-Sakai (Constructability Review)
  • Sage Geotechnical (Geotech)

The City expresses its deep appreciation to the partners who have made substantial contributions to the development of the project.

City of Aberdeen Project Logo Washington State Department of Transportation Logo

Funding

This project focuses on providing a safe and reliable multi-modal connection between North Aberdeen and the City of Aberdeen downtown core. With a $23.1M federal funding grant, the City aims to address structural deficiencies, meet design standards, honor the significance of Kurt Cobain, and avoid the need for contributing a $3.0M local funding match by completing the design process by September 1, 2026.

Process and timeline

Process and timeline

The North Aberdeen Bridge project is making great progress! In June 2023, the City received a grant and they selected a consultant team to design the bridge by September 2026. Moving forward, the project will be broken down into multiple phases (see below).

Project development process timeline with emphasis on preferred alternative being determined in June 2024.
Figure 3. Project development process phases (click on image to enlarge).

Research and investigations

This work includes identifying existing conditions within the Project vicinity to aid in the design of the ultimate bridge solution.

Alternatives analysis phase (WE ARE HERE)

Currently the City is studying opportunities to achieve project objectives (above), while also preserving the legacy of Kurt Cobain and his association with the bridge and the surrounding area. This part of the project is called the “Alternatives Analysis” phase. In this early phase of the project, the City is working with community stakeholders to understand the concerns and challenges associated with the project and develop solutions that will fit within the project’s funding limits. The goal is to gather technical research and community feedback to help identify a preferred alternative in June 2024 that will be studied further

This work is led by the City’s Project Management Team and Consultant staff. The City has established a Stakeholder Outreach Group (SOG) to support the alternatives analysis process; see below for the full list of SOG members:

  • Aberdeen - Council Members
  • Aberdeen - Fire
  • Aberdeen - Parks
  • Aberdeen - Police
  • Aberdeen School District
  • Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation
  • Downtown Aberdeen Association
  • Friends of Aberdeen Museum
  • Grays Harbor PUD
  • Grays Harbor Transit
  • Greater Grays Harbor
  • Local Business(es)
  • Our Aberdeen
  • Quinault Nation
Group of people present at the first Stakeholder Outreach Group meeting in February 2023
Figure 4. First Stakeholder Outreach Group meeting held in February 2023 (click on image to enlarge).

Preliminary and final design

During this the phase, the Preferred Alternative will be developed into detailed construction documents.

Environmental approvals

As the preferred alternative design solution is developed into more detail, the City will obtain local, state and federal approvals for the ultimate design solution.

Right of way

The City will evaluate property impacts associated with the ultimate design solution footprint and obtain any temporary or permanent property rights necessary to construct the project.

Construction phase (fall 2026 to fall 2028)

After the design, environmental approvals, and right of way phases are complete, the City will hire a construction contractor to build the ultimate design solution. During this phase, the City and the contractor will focus on maintaining access across the Wishkah River to North Aberdeen, safety, and minimizing impacts to the neighborhood and traveling public.


View of bridge facing north.
View of bridge facing north, highlighting the bridge’s degraded structural condition.
Warning sign for vehicle weight restrictions on bridge. 
Warning sign for vehicle weight restrictions on bridge. 
A memorial to late singer Kurt Cobain under the bridge.
A memorial to late singer Kurt Cobain under the bridge.
View of Kurt Cobain Memorial Park, directly next to the bridge.
View of Kurt Cobain Memorial Park, directly next to the bridge.
View of bridge showing utility lines and aging infrastructure.
View of bridge showing utility lines and aging infrastructure.
View of bridge facing the north bank of the river showing a natural gas pipeline warning sign.
View of bridge facing the north bank of the river showing a natural gas pipeline warning sign.

Initial alternatives

The North Aberdeen Bridge project will bring much needed improvements to our community! The project team is considering a variety of solutions that will achieve the project’s objectives. These initial alternatives were brainstormed by the City of Aberdeen, Consultant Design Team and the Project Stakeholder Group.

The following evaluation criteria will be used to help the project team rank the options in the Alternatives Analysis phase:

  • Accommodates Kurt Cobain significance
  • Design solution utilizes current research data obtained near existing bridge site
  • Improves multi-modal (bicycle/pedestrian) access
  • Minimizes City's risk for potential safety/liability/durability concerns
  • Minimizes construction impacts to traveling public and surrounding neighborhood
  • Minimizes impacts to adjacent properties
  • Minimizes impacts to critical areas
  • Minimizes impacts to existing utilities
  • Minimizes project construction cost
  • Solution can be permitted and designed prior to September 2026

Option 1

Rehabilitate or upgrade existing bridge (no new bridge)

Option 2

Build a new bridge & keep part or all of existing bridge

Option 3

Build new bridge & remove existing bridge

Option 4

Do nothing

Click here now to learn more about the project options.

Next steps

The City is committed to receiving project feedback through a variety of channels, both online and offline. We are continuing to work with a Stakeholder Outreach Group, comprised of community representatives, to identify project solutions and alternatives.

The next major steps in this project are as follows:

  • City Council presentation – April 2024: top 2 project alternatives will be announced.
  • Public Hearing during City Council Meeting – May 8, 2024: City staff will provide update of project status and top alternatives; public comments will be welcomed
  • In-person open house – June 2024: community invited to provide feedback on the top ranked alternative.
  • City Council presentation – June 2024: preferred alternative will be announced.

Stay informed as the project advances by signing up for our Notify Me mailing list. Please remember to select the "North Aberdeen Bridge" option under the "Newsflash" section. See additional contact options below.