Quick answer: The City of Everett is hosting a community celebration for the new Edgewater Bridge on Monday, April 27 at 3:30 p.m. Residents are invited to walk across the bridge, hear remarks from Everett and Mukilteo officials, and meet the project team. The bridge will not be open to vehicle traffic during the celebration. The bridge officially reopens to vehicles on Tuesday, April 28.
After 18 months of detours, closures and the slow-motion choreography of a $34 million bridge replacement, the Edgewater Bridge is back. And before it opens to traffic, the city is throwing residents a chance to walk across it first.
The community celebration is set for Monday, April 27 at 3:30 p.m. Mayor Cassie Franklin and officials from the City of Mukilteo are expected to deliver remarks, the project team will be on hand to walk attendees through how the bridge was rebuilt, and the public is invited to walk across the new span as part of the event.
Then, at the end of the workday on Tuesday, April 28, the bridge will officially reopen to vehicle traffic — restoring the connection between Everett’s Mukilteo Boulevard corridor and the City of Mukilteo for the first time since fall 2024.
What to Expect at the Celebration
This is a community-style event, not a ribbon-cutting reception. The city has framed it as a chance for neighbors to walk the new bridge, learn how the replacement was built, and take in remarks from Everett and Mukilteo officials.
A few practical notes for residents who want to attend:
- The bridge will not be open to vehicles during the celebration. You can approach the bridge from either side — Everett or Mukilteo — but you cannot drive across it Monday afternoon. Vehicle traffic resumes Tuesday.
- You can walk across. That’s the entire point of the event. Pedestrians are welcome to cross the bridge during the celebration window.
- Project staff will be available to answer questions. If you’ve ever wanted to know how the seismic upgrades work, why the bike lanes are configured the way they are, or what’s coming next on the Mukilteo Boulevard corridor — Monday is your shot.
- Some finishing work continues after opening. Permanent roadway striping, barriers, lighting and paint may still need to be completed in the days and weeks after the bridge reopens. Drivers should expect occasional lane shifts or short closures during off-peak hours.
The celebration is free and open to the public. No tickets, no RSVP, no formal program — just the chance to walk across before the cars take over again.
Why a Community Walk Across the Bridge Is Worth Doing
Bridge openings don’t usually get a public celebration. Most ribbon-cuttings happen at 10 a.m. on a weekday with a few elected officials and a press release.
This one is different for a few reasons.
The closure was long and disruptive. Everett residents who use Mukilteo Boulevard, the Boeing employees who rely on it for commuting, and Mukilteo neighbors who route through Everett have been living with detours for the better part of a year and a half. The detour pushed traffic onto other corridors, slowed commutes, and meaningfully reshuffled neighborhood traffic patterns.
The bridge is a significant piece of regional infrastructure. The Edgewater Bridge is one of the key connection points between the City of Everett and the City of Mukilteo, and it carries one of the more scenic stretches of road in the region. The new structure includes seismic upgrades, dedicated bike lanes, and improved pedestrian infrastructure that the previous bridge didn’t have.
Most of the cost was federally funded. The roughly $34 million replacement project was approximately 80 percent federally funded, meaning the bulk of the bill was carried by federal transportation dollars rather than Everett’s general fund or local taxpayers directly. Public events like Monday’s are also a chance for project staff to walk residents through that funding structure and what it bought.
Walking a new bridge before traffic opens is a one-time-only thing. Once Tuesday hits, the bridge becomes part of the daily traffic grid. Monday afternoon is the only window where a resident can experience the structure on foot, in the open air, without dodging cars.
How the Bridge Got Here
The Edgewater Bridge replacement project closed the original structure to traffic in 2024 to allow for full demolition and rebuild. Mukilteo Boulevard was rerouted, neighborhood traffic patterns shifted, and the timeline ran the better part of 18 months.
The new bridge includes several upgrades over the structure it replaces:
- Seismic resilience. The bridge was rebuilt to current seismic standards — meaningful in a region that sits on the Cascadia Subduction Zone and where post-1990s seismic codes are now the baseline for major infrastructure.
- Bike lanes. The new bridge includes dedicated bicycle facilities that match the city’s broader plan to improve non-motorized transportation along Mukilteo Boulevard.
- Updated pedestrian infrastructure. Crossing the bridge on foot or by bike is now meaningfully different than it was on the previous structure.
- Drainage and structural updates that bring the bridge in line with current Washington State engineering standards.
After the public celebration on Monday and the traffic reopening on Tuesday, the project enters its punch-list phase. Permanent roadway striping, barriers, lighting and paint may still need to be completed after the bridge is open to traffic. The city has signaled drivers may see occasional brief impacts during finishing work, but the corridor will be open to traffic.
What Happens After the Bridge Reopens
The Edgewater Bridge reopening is one of two big infrastructure stories on the same Mukilteo Boulevard corridor. Mukilteo Boulevard at the bridge is projected to fully reopen to traffic in April 2026, weather permitting — meaning the entire corridor, not just the bridge structure itself, returns to normal operation.
Once the bridge and corridor are both open, expect the traffic patterns that have been displaced for 18 months to shift back. Neighborhood streets that were absorbing detour traffic should see relief. Mukilteo Boulevard itself returns to functioning as the connecting route it was before the closure. And the broader regional traffic grid between Everett and Mukilteo restores its primary connection.
For commuters who built workarounds during the closure, it’s worth knowing the bridge will be fully open — but with finishing work continuing for at least a few weeks. Plan for occasional minor adjustments rather than perfectly normal traffic.
How to Attend
The celebration starts at 3:30 p.m. Monday, April 27. Residents can approach the bridge from either the Everett or Mukilteo side. Pedestrian access is open during the event window; vehicle access is not. The bridge officially reopens to vehicle traffic on Tuesday, April 28, at the end of the workday.
For project information, visit the City of Everett’s Edgewater Bridge Replacement Project page at everettwa.gov.
This is the first time most Everett and Mukilteo residents will set foot on the new bridge. After Monday, most of us will only experience it through a windshield.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Edgewater Bridge community celebration? Monday, April 27, 2026, at 3:30 p.m.
When does the bridge reopen to traffic? Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at the end of the workday.
Can I drive across the bridge during the celebration? No. The bridge will not be open to vehicle traffic on Monday during the celebration. Pedestrian access only that afternoon. Vehicles return Tuesday.
Where do I park to attend the celebration? The city has not announced dedicated event parking. Residents should plan to use street parking near either approach to the bridge — on the Everett side along Mukilteo Boulevard, or from the Mukilteo side near the existing approach. Plan to walk a short distance.
Is the celebration free? Yes. Free, open to the public, no tickets or RSVP required.
Will Mayor Franklin be there? Officials from both Everett and Mukilteo are expected to deliver brief remarks at the celebration.
How much did the bridge cost, and who paid for it? The replacement project came in around $34 million, with approximately 80 percent of the cost covered by federal transportation funding. The remaining share was covered through state and local sources.
What changed about the new bridge versus the old one? The new bridge includes seismic upgrades, dedicated bike lanes, and improved pedestrian infrastructure — none of which existed on the previous structure.
Will the entire Mukilteo Boulevard corridor be open after April 28? Yes. Mukilteo Boulevard at the bridge is projected to reopen to traffic in April 2026, weather permitting. Some finishing work — striping, lighting, painting — will continue afterward but should not cause major traffic disruptions.
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