Leavenworth advances Blackbird Bridge, Front Street repair projects

LEAVENWORTH — The City of Leavenworth is moving forward with several improvement projects in the downtown area, including fixes to the Blackbird Island Bridge and short-term repairs to Front Street.

During its April 14 meeting, Leavenworth City Council authorized the city’s on-call transportation engineering firm, Ardurra Group, to move forward with the design and preparation of the BlackBird Island Bridge repair.

“There's been structural issues associated with the Blackbird Bridge for some time. The big flood back in December actually exacerbated the situation,” said City Engineer Brantley Bain.

Issues with the bridge were first identified by city staff in late 2024, including significant erosion that posed potential risks to the bridge’s structural integrity. At the time, Ardurra Group was tasked with completing a structural analysis of the bridge. According to Bain, December’s flooding degraded the upstream channel, worsening the condition.

The proposed scope of work is expected to cost $88,000, and will include permitting, design, and bidding support for reconstruction of the right bank of the Wenatchee River near the bridge. According to Bain, the high pre-construction cost is due to the permitting requirements with state and local agencies. The city engineer estimated that the construction cost will range from $100,000 to $200,000. Finance Director Chantell Steiner told the council that the project would be paid for using both the street and lodging tax funds.

Leavenworth City Council also approved up to $250,000 in Front Street repair work, which will include sealing the entire length of Front Street, replacing sections of concrete, and addressing ‘wavy’ brick sidewalks. City staff said the short term repairs are necessary due to multiple trip hazards and general poor condition of the existing streetscape.

“We actually had a bid from KRCI Construction that our lawyer took a look at and kind of deemed it to be irregular. So we've got to go back and rebid these project assets, but we're still moving forward with making these repairs on Front Street,” said Bain.

According to Bain, work is expected to take place over a 10-day window between Maifest and Memorial Day Weekend.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media