This isn’t the only way to get across the Duwamish from South Park.A few months ago, when visiting the new Hooters Casino in Boulevard Park, Stranger staffer Lindy West failed to realize South Park was a a neighborhood located within the Seattle city limits. In this week’s Stranger, Capitol Hill’s neighborhood newsweekly shows it still isn’t equipped to pass South Park 101, misidentifying the South Park Bridge as “the only route residents of the hardscrabble neighborhood have for getting across the Duwamish River and into the rest of the city.”Actually, when you cross that bridge heading toward Boeing Field, you’re technically crossing from Seattle proper into Tukwila, however briefly. But let’s not get that technical: The First Ave. S. Bridge, easily accessible from South Park, crosses the Duwamish before depositing travelers in Georgetown.But you, unlike the Stranger, already knew that. With the South Park Bridge set for a four-day, peak-hour maintenance closure beginning this Saturday, January 30, there’s no better time than now than to reveal an ultra-stealth Duwamish crossing that only those who have graduated from South Park Polytechnic Institute are hep to.Fourteenth Avenue South is South Park’s main drag. Head east from Cloverdale, and you’ll wind up on the South Park Bridge. Head west, and you’ll be bound for the Hooters Casino. But to reach what we’ll call the Boeing Bridge, rather than following the main thoroughfare, motorists should hang a left from 14th Ave. S. onto…14th Ave. S. (Yeah, it’s confusing, but it’s clearly marked, and there’s a turn lane to boot). After a four-way stop and a hairpin left, 14th morphs into West Marginal Place, which runs parallel to the Duwamish and Highway 99.At S. 102nd Street, with USPS’s local headquarters and the Green River trailhead straight ahead, hang a left. In a matter of moments, you will come to a bridge marked as though it’s Boeing’s private property. Don’t let this fool you: The private property referred to here is the parking on either side — the bridge is unsecured and crossable for anyone willing to abide by a 25 mph speed limit.Having cleared the Duwamish, you’ll find yourself on East Marginal Way, near Randy’s Diner, Boeing Field, and the Annex Lounge — and but a short distance south of where you’d end up if you were to cross the river via the South Park Bridge.Don’t say we never did nothin’ for you.
More Stories From This Author
Fourth of July weekend weather in King County
Expect mostly sunny and warm weather for the Fourth of July weekend in the Puget Sound region. Below is the…
King County jail audit finds issues in behavioral health services
Addressing the issues could reduce the risk of reoffending.
New King county park rangers to begin patrolling Saturday
Council members hope the increased presence of officials will deter break-ins at trailheads.