On Sept. 17, the West Seattle Bridge reopened after two and a half years of being under construction. The reopening means much easier access to West Seattle and makes many attractions nearby more accessible for Seattle Pacific University students.

According to seattle.gov, the bridge was closed in 2020 due to multiple cracks that were quickly growing, causing the bridge to be unsafe. It was decided based on cost effectiveness, among other reasons, to repair the bridge instead of building a new one.

The reopening means that drivers could have almost 40 minutes cut off of their commute time and opens up easier access for students to reach locations like Alki Beach and Easy Street Records.

Grace Inae Blum is an associate professor in the school of education who has had to commute from West Seattle, a trip that on the better days is 45 minutes and on the worst days an hour and a half.

“Now that the bridge is up and running, the commute is about 20 minutes. I feel like I’ve gained so much of my life back,” Blum said. “It’s a game changer.”

Blum’s community has also been rejoicing in the opening of the bridge, as the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the closed bridge resulted in West Seattle feeling cut off from the rest of the city.

“We didn’t leave unless we had to, so it feels like we are reconnected with the rest of Seattle,” Blum said.

The community watched as the barriers were removed to be the first to cross the bridge, and celebrated with a block party, T-shirts and a special beer brew created by local pub Ounces.

“All these cars were honking and celebrating – fireworks went off, but I think that was a coincidence – there was a Mariners game happening,” Blum said. “I think our whole community is really excited.”

Freshman Emily Ortega-Ayala, who is from West Seattle, is looking forward to being able to visit her family and show her friends around where she grew up.

“Now that the bridge is open, it gives other students an opportunity to explore the west side,” Ortega-Ayala said. “I know a lot of local places in the area and am very interested in taking [my friends] to Alki.”

Blum has lived in West Seattle for 10 years, so the closing of the bridge coupled with the pandemic changed what life there was like, and she is glad that things are finally starting to feel normal again.

“It’s been two years and we’ve been in the middle of this pandemic so it feels like things are getting back to normal. It feels like we’re coming out of this long, difficult time,” Blum said.

The bridge will allow students to access many more of the shops and attractions in West Seattle, which will help businesses get back on their feet.

“I hope now that the bridge is open it gives other students the opportunity to explore the west side,” Ortega-Ayala said.