User:SounderBruce/Sandbox/Bridges

=Proposed Puget Sound crossings=
 * Alternative titles: Puget Sound crossing, Cross-Sound Bridge

A bridge or tunnel across the central Puget Sound, connecting the Seattle area to the Kitsap Peninsula, has been proposed several times since the early 20th century. The crossing is currently made by Washington State Ferries, a state-run service that was originally intended to temporarily serve the corridors until a fixed link for automobiles was constructed.

1950s–1960s proposals

 * 1948: Vashon Island businesses offer plan for $17.5 million bridge from Southworth to Vashon
 * 1949 study
 * November 1952: State Toll Bridge Authority approves preliminary plans for floating bridge via Vashon Island


 * 1959: Vashon proposal with parkway
 * 1960: Port Orchard Channel Bridge to connect Bremerton to Bainbridge


 * 1965 Analyses of Alternate Puget Sound Crossings
 * Color map with corridors
 * Four general bridges: Gorst to Vashon to White Center (part of Puget Sound Freeway?); Bremerton to Bainbridge to Alki to Spokane Street; Bremerton to Skiff Point (Bainbridge) to West Point (Magnolia) to Northwest Expressway; Keyport to Shoreline


 * Aftermath
 * 1967: Proposal costs too high, likely to be scrapped

1980s–1990s proposal

 * In response to rising ferry traffic (over capacity)
 * 1992 Cross Sound Transportation Study
 * Fixed structure with landing in Seattle deemed impractical due to length (7.5 mi), depth, and vessel impacts (p. 28)
 * Recommended bridges:
 * Fletcher Bay Bridge from University Point (Bremerton) to Bainbridge Island, estimated length of 3,692 ft (p. 29)
 * Fragaria–Vashon Suspension Bridge from Command Point to Vashon Island, 6,800 feet with clearance for shipping traffic (p. 31)
 * Burien West–Vashon Island Floating Bridge from Point Beals (Vashon) to Seahurst (Burien), 16,880 ft (p. 32); presumably an extension of SR 518?
 * Alternative floating tube with 22 units, totaling 14,400 feet (p. 33)
 * Alternative: Twinning the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (completed 2007)


 * Cost
 * $2 billion (1992, NY Times)


 * Reception
 * Six public hearings
 * Vashon hearing (March 9): 1 in 5 residents (out of 9,000) attend, mostly in opposition; high school venue has walls plastered in bridge disaster stories; fears of growth


 * Aftermath
 * New jumbo ferries?

Other proposals

 * Modern tunnel concepts

Design and construction

 * 1947-06-02: Seattle mayor William Devin announces plans for a double-deck viaduct on Alaskan Way, to begin construction in 1948 at a cost of $5 million
 * 1950-02-06: Construction begins on the viaduct project

Opening and reception

 * 1953-04-04: First section opens to traffic
 * 1959-09-03: Final section (Spokane Street Extension) opens to traffic, extending the viaduct from South Dearborn Street to South Nevada Street
 * 1966-02-01: Columbia Street on-ramp, the final component of the viaduct, opens to traffic

Demolition

 * 2011-10-21: Demolition of the King Street to Holgate Street section of the viaduct begins, to make way for the replacement tunnel's south portal

Description

 * Statistics
 * Length: 5811 ft
 * Width: 92 ft
 * Maximum clearance (at west end):
 * Minimum clearance:
 * Pontoons:
 * Length: 354 ft
 * Average daily traffic (2010): 57,428


 * Features
 * 5-lane configuration (3 westbound, 2 reversible/express), with 3 shoulders
 * Separated sidewalk on north side of bridge, carrying I-90 Trail/Mountains to Sound Greenway Trail

Design and construction

 * 1989-06-04: Bridge opens to traffic, carrying both directions of I-90 while the Murrow bridge is closed for rehabilitation
 * Murrow bridge renovated into full interstate standards (3 lanes, no sidewalks, wide shoulder)


 * Murrow bridge disaster
 * 1990-11-25: Lacey V. Murrow Bridge collapses in windstorm while undergoing repair, closing Hadley bridge
 * 1990-12-03: Hadley bridge re-opened to traffic
 * 1993-09-12: Lacey V. Murrow Bridge re-opens to traffic

Light rail conversion

 * 1968–1970: Heavy rail line between Seattle, Mercer Island and Bellevue proposed in failed Forward Thrust measures
 * 1976: Memorandum agreement signed to provide for high-capacity transit in the center roadway of the Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge


 * East Link planning
 * 2008-11-04: ST2 passes, approving funding for East Link
 * 2009: East Link preliminary engineering begins
 * 2011: East Link EIS published
 * 2015–2021: Scheduled construction for East Link
 * 2023: East Link planned to open


 * Two-Way Transit Project
 * 2015–2017: Planned addition of HOV lane to existing westbound and eastbound spans between Rainier Avenue and Mercer Island to replace reversible express lanes

Design

 * Warren steel truss double-deck bridge
 * Lanes: 8 upper, 4 lower (exit to 43rd)
 * 4,429 feet long
 * Painted "Washington Green" (by hand)
 * Passage Point Parks under both landings
 * Parallel to transmission line (on west side)
 * Shifted 100 feet west to make way for bridge

History

 * Predecessors: Latona (1891 to 1919) near same location, University to the east


 * Designed with computers (a first?)
 * Right-of-way acquisition begins in 1957
 * Construction of piers began in summer 1958


 * January 14, 1961: Center section of span closed, joining span


 * Completed in fall 1961 as the largest ever built in the Northwest
 * 1962 World's Fair: "world's largest elevated parking lot"
 * Capacity for 2,500 cars
 * Cancelled in June 1962?
 * Opened on December 18, 1962 at 2 pm, along with 1.4-mile freeway segment from Ravenna Boulevard to Roanoke
 * Opening ceremony: ribbon cut pre-maturely during rehearsal, cars rush to cross as Governor Rosellini and Mayor Clinton moved aside
 * Cost $14-15 million
 * December 1963: Proposed naming of John F. Kennedy Memorial Parkway and Bridge along with I-5


 * Renovations
 * 1985: Deck repair and replacement
 * 2001: Seismic retrofit project completed, just prior to earthquake
 * 1993 study prompted project
 * 2007: Inspected after Minneapolis bridge collapse
 * Functionally obsolete rating
 * Deck replacement scheduled for 2023 to 2028; falling concrete in 2021 forces park closure


 * Transit proposals
 * 1986: Light rail to U District
 * 2001: Monorail plan


 * Fauna
 * Peregrine falcons nest under bridge since 1990s or 2000s


 * Incidents
 * August 2001 suicide attempt
 * 2014 shooting


 * Preservation
 * Iconic
 * Nominated for NRHP
 * Traffic bottleneck (start of busiest section of I-5)

History

 * Completed in 1933 for US 99 (4 lanes)


 * Northbound span
 * 1970: Construction begins on $1.12 million bridge
 * Plate-girder bridge with two spans (202 feet long each) and approach spans
 * Part of expansion to six lanes
 * Built using new method to protect fish


 * Renovation
 * 2014: Closures of southbound bridge for upkeep
 * 2021: Bridge repainting

Description
The tunnel was built in 1952 using the cut-and-cover method. It carries two traffic lanes in each direction, and connects the Alaskan Way Viaduct to Aurora Avenue N., providing continuity for State Route 99. There are no sidewalks or other provisions for pedestrians or bicyclists in the Tunnel.

Facilities
When an incident blocking traffic takes place within the tunnel, warning lights advise motorists to exit SR-99 at Western Avenue (northbound) and Denny Way (southbound). Emergency exits are placed behind sliding doors, with stairways leading up to Battery Street on the surface.


 * Vents on Battery Street
 * Secret control room

History

 * Similar tunnel described in 1911 Bogue Plan
 * Construction with driven piles along nearby buildings, then excavation
 * Opened July 24, 1954, at a cost of $2.8 million
 * Originally named the "Battery Street Subway"
 * Ventilation testing
 * First tunnel to use an automatic deluge fire suppression system

Closure and replacement

 * Closed on February 1, 2019, after partial use during viaduct shutdown
 * Filled with viaduct rubble and sealed
 * Scheduled to begin in early May


 * Recharge the Battery
 * Urban oasis under street level
 * Farming and creek restoration
 * WSDOT voices concerns about seismic and structural standards

BNSF bridge

 * Replacement project started in 2019 to upgrade capacity
 * Second bridge built 50 feet west, 4,874 feet long with 49 spans

History

 * Ferry service for new settlements in 1890s, later overburdened by growth of Clarkston
 * 1896: Bridge franchise, replaced in 1897
 * December 15, 1898: First bridge begins construction
 * June 24, 1899: First bridge completed at cost of $110,000, 1,700 ft long and using 636 tons of steel
 * Wooden deck and rails
 * High arch with cantilever
 * Opened to traffic on June 24 and dedicated on July 4
 * December 4, 1913: Toll on bridge is eliminated by joint purchase of ID and WA
 * 1915 to 1928: Streetcars on bridge


 * Second bridge
 * Opened May 26, 1939 at cost of $750,000
 * 1,424 ft long
 * Estimated 20,000 residents at dedication and parade
 * 1970s: Lower Granite Dam inundation forces bridge lift
 * August 1981: Southway Bridge opens to provide third option (along with Red Wolf Crossing in 1979)
 * Proposed in 1970s due to dam construction leading to more frequent lifts
 * 1999: "Costly repairs" needed
 * 2002: Steel painting by WSDOT
 * 2006: Deck repair and concrete overlay completed by WSDOT


 * Highways
 * US 12 extended in 1967

Design

 * Nicknamed "Blue bridge" for paint scheme
 * Vertical lift truss
 * 10-15 ft of clearance when closed, 40-45 ft when open
 * Openings restricted to specific windows
 * Maintained by WSDOT

History

 * 15th Street bridge proposed as result of Lower Granite Dam construction
 * Nicknamed "Someday Bridge" because piers were left incomplete for years
 * Named for Chief Red Wolf of the Nez Perce; naming accepted on May 4, 1979 by state legislature (House Resolution 79-59)
 * October 19, 1979: Dedicated and opened to traffic
 * Dedication ceremony included surviving member of Red Wolf band
 * Steamboat Wilma tied to pier
 * Part of SR 193 until SR 128 extended in 1991

History

 * January 8, 1927: Opened as the longest single span in the state (2,833 feet)
 * 2013: Tacoma plans cable-stayed replacement
 * Later cancelled in 2016
 * May 2018: Railroad bridge demolition begins
 * May 21, 2019: Renamed to Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge to commemorate Puyallup Tribe protests of the 1960s and 1970s
 * September 14, 2019: Reopened after renovation and construction of new railroad span; new restrictions doubled
 * October 2023: Main span closes to all traffic due to safety issues
 * Replacement of main span estimated to cost $140 million in 2019