The City of Mill Creek's public notices describe one of the seven south-side support columns under the 164th St SE bridge over North Creek as being in "poor condition." The staff report written for the City Council's November 3 meeting uses stronger language. It says the engineering evaluation "found that one of the columns had failed and is no longer capable of supporting any load," and that the consultant recommended the city "move traffic off the column until repairs could be completed."
That one sentence accounts for everything drivers on 164th have seen since late October: the closed right lane, the two full weekend shutdowns, and a work window that runs into mid-December. It also explains why other road projects across Mill Creek are giving up money to pay for this one.
How a routine inspection became an emergency
The city owns twelve bridges. Under an agreement with the Washington State Department of Transportation, WSDOT inspects them every other year, and the most recent round was in fall 2025. That inspection rated the 164th St SE/North Creek bridge "poor." City staff and WSDOT decided it needed a closer look. Here's how events moved from there, based on the staff report and the city's project page:
- Fall 2025: The biennial WSDOT inspection rates the bridge in poor condition.
- October 14, 2026: Otak, the structural engineering firm the city hired, delivers its evaluation and updated load rating. It finds the failed column.
- October 21: The City Manager issues an Emergency Proclamation so repair contracts can move forward right away.
- October 23: Traffic changes begin on 164th St SE.
- November 3: The City Council votes 7–0 to confirm the emergency proclamation, authorize the emergency contracts and approve a $1.3 million budget amendment.
- November 6: Final repair design was expected that day, with construction to "start as soon as possible afterward."
- November 13–16 and November 20–23: The bridge closes fully for two weekends.
- Mid-December 2026: The temporary traffic adjustments are expected to end.
From the engineering report to the first closed lane took nine days. The staff report calls the bridge "one of the primary entrances into the City," and that helps explain why the city moved so fast.
A 1967 bridge with a 1989 addition
Most drivers cross the bridge without noticing it. It's a single 28-foot span, built in two pieces. The original deck, 59 feet wide, dates to 1967, and a 16-foot widening was added on the south side in 1989. In 2012, a repair replaced a 13-foot section of the original timber pile cap near the southwest corner.
So the bridge has had south-side work before, and the column now being repaired is also on the south side. The city says the current repair is meant to provide "critical reinforcement." It will also run a separate, comprehensive study of long-term solutions for the corridor that accounts for "increased traffic volume." This repair keeps the bridge in service while the city decides what comes next.
Why the right lane, and why two full weekends
Eastbound traffic on 164th St SE uses the south side of the street, above the failed column. Since October 23, the far-right eastbound lane nearest the sidewalk, near North Creek Presbyterian Church, has been closed. Eastbound drivers now use the left lane and the center turn lane. In practice, this is the consultant's advice to move traffic off the column, put into effect with cones.
The lane shift kept cars moving while the repair was designed. The repair itself needs the whole bridge clear. The city has scheduled two full closures:
Closure | Starts | Reopens | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
First weekend | Friday, Nov. 13, 9 p.m. | Monday, Nov. 16, 4 a.m. | 55 hours |
Second weekend | Friday, Nov. 20, 9 p.m. | Monday, Nov. 23, 4 a.m. | 55 hours |
That's 110 hours with no traffic over North Creek on 164th. Both windows start after Friday rush hour and end before Monday's. City spokesperson Jody Hawkins told the Herald that the full closures are needed to make room for construction crews and to speed up the restoration.
During both weekends, the city's primary detour for eastbound 164th St SE traffic is:
- South on North Road
- East on Filbert Road
- North on Bothell-Everett Highway
On the west side of the closure, local access stays open up to 5th Avenue and North Creek Presbyterian Church. The city has posted a full detour map and the traffic control plan. It warns that the closures "are expected to create substantial delays on surrounding roadways" and asks drivers to allow extra time, avoid the area when they can, and use alternate routes.
The detour sends traffic south to Filbert Road and back north on Bothell-Everett Highway, so a short trip across the creek becomes a loop that ends up on the city's busiest north-south road. That's the main reason the city expects delays to spread beyond 164th.
Swift Orange runs along this corridor
Community Transit's Swift Orange line, Route 703, runs between Edmonds College and the McCollum Park Park & Ride. Its stops include North Rd EB Station and 164th St SE NB Station, so the route runs on the 164th corridor where the bridge sits. The city says it is coordinating with Community Transit, Snohomish County, WSDOT, Everett Public Schools and local businesses throughout the repair. Riders can check Community Transit's Rider Alerts page for service changes on a given weekend.
Where the $1.3 million comes from
The staff report adds the work to the city's 2025–2030 Capital Improvement Plan as the 164th St SE/North Creek Bridge Emergency Repair Project, ST00025. Otak designs the repair, writes the traffic control plan and manages construction. Advanced Traffic Control installs the cones and signs. Granite Construction was picked from four interested contractors to do the repair. The estimate breaks down like this:
Task | Estimate |
|---|---|
Design and construction management | $190,000 |
Traffic control | $220,000 |
Construction | $730,000 |
Contingency | $160,000 |
Total | $1,300,000 |
Traffic control costs $220,000. That's close to a third of the $730,000 construction line, which reflects how much work goes into keeping a primary entrance usable while it's being repaired.
None of this money was budgeted for the bridge ahead of time. The staff report laid out how to cover the full $1.3 million from the Road Improvement Fund by moving appropriations out of three other projects in the 2025–2026 budget, and on November 3 the council approved the amendment 7–0, shifting existing transportation funds to the repair:
- Seattle Hill Road Widening: $400,000
- 2026 Overlay Program: $600,000
- South Town Center Transportation: $300,000
The last item ties the bridge to the biggest planning decision Mill Creek made this year. In September, the city approved the South Town Center Subarea Plan, which covers 82 acres between North Creek and Bothell-Everett Highway, from City Hall North to the QFC on 164th Street, as reported by the Herald. Some of the transportation money for that plan, plus money for widening Seattle Hill Road and this year's repaving, now goes to a 1967 bridge column. A failed support near North Creek Presbyterian Church ends up affecting road budgets well beyond this one crossing.
Holidays on Main falls inside the work window
The city expects the temporary traffic adjustments on 164th to last through mid-December. That window includes the city's biggest holiday event. Holidays on Main runs Saturday, December 5, from noon to 6 p.m. at Town Center, 15310 Main St. Here's the schedule:
- Noon to 4 p.m.: Santa's Snowflake Village at The Forum, 15121 Main St., with Santa photos from 1 to 3 p.m.
- 4 p.m.: The Santa Parade heads south on Main Street, from 15024 Main St. to Jewelry Source Plaza at 15603 Main St.
- 5 p.m.: Tree lighting at Jewelry Source Plaza.
Neither full bridge closure falls on that Saturday. The lane shift is expected to still be in place, though, so anyone coming to Town Center from the west on 164th St SE will be using the left lane and center turn lane past North Creek Presbyterian Church, as they have since October 23. The city posts construction progress, traffic changes and timeline updates at millcreekwa.gov/northcreekbridge.
Projects like the 164th bridge repair change daily routes in Mill Creek, and they can also affect how a home on either side of North Creek shows and sells during the work. If you're thinking about listing this winter and want to know how the repair timeline might affect your plans, Pilchard Properties can walk you through it. When you're ready, get your instant home valuation.
