Bridges of King County

By HEATHER NORDEEN, Features Writer

Published: October 23, 2002

We walk them, we drive them, we ride them and some of us jump off them, but do we really appreciate the bridges of Seattle? Today there are 337 of them placed all across the city; most of the ones surrounding SPU are bascule. Bascule bridges are comparable to seesaws: They open and close by means of weight. If one is a true Seattleite, then one can't help but be familiar with this apparatus and recall one's fair share of waiting in traffic because the bridge is up.

Contrary to the desire of motorists, federal law gives marine traffic the right of way. So when there is a boat that needs to get by, no matter what day or what time, the bridge must be opened. Although our local bridges may be an annoyance to some, many are examples of stunning architecture and supply striking views of the city's skyline and waterways. These bridges didn't just spring up one day: Many have been around longer than any citizen in Seattle. The average age of a Seattle bridge is 50 years, and some are on the national historical register. Every one of the bridges in Seattle has its own unique story of how it came to be, and many have some interesting tales to tell.

Fremont Bridge

The Fremont Bridge is quite possibly best known for its neon Rapunzel on one tower and the crocodile stretching out the elephant trunk on the other. These works of art were created by Queen Anne artist Rodman Miller and were put on the bridge six years ago, but not without the permission of the city and a bit of backlash from the locals.

Unlike many of the bridges in Seattle, the Fremont Bridge stands out because of its eye-catching blue and orange coloring. Legend has it that the orange was used as a primer coat and the painters left it on for too long. By the time they came back and realized their mistake, the people of Fremont had grown to love the eccentric color and wanted to keep it. As time went on, the orange faded and a new paint-job became necessary. For the first time in the city's history, the citizens had the chance to vote on what color they wanted their bridge to be, and blue was chosen. Even with majority rule, many Fremonters were unhappy and knew they were going to miss the orange. To solve the animosity over the color, a local artist came up with the idea of mixing orange with the blue paint the people had picked. The idea worked. Today the bridge may seem blue, but in the correct sunlight the orange becomes visible.

The Fremont Bridge is only 35 feet above the water, making it hard for most boats with masts to get by without it opening. This necessitates an average of 35 openings per day, making the Fremont Bridge one of the most-opened bascule bridges in the world.

The Aurora Bridge

The George Washington Memorial Bridge, commonly referred to as the Aurora Bridge (due to the highway it connects), was dedicated on Feb. 22, 1932. In the 1920s, Fremont was a busy little city and the bridge carried over 34,000 cars a day. So another, much larger bridge was built, which now overwhelms the minute Fremont. The George Washington is 167 feet above Lake Union, 2,945 feet long and 70 feet wide, and helps illustrate a beautiful Seattle sunset on a clear day. Before I-5 was in existence, you could drive north over the bridge and keep going all the way to Canada. And if you were impelled to go south, you would find that 99 took you all the way to Mexico.

The University Bridge

The University Bridge that joins the University of Washington to Eastlake opened in July of 1919. As with most bridges at the time, the University was made of timber. The logs of the bridge would get wet and become very slippery, making it dangerous for people to cross with their horses, cows and wagons. The people crossing the bridge were prone to accidents, an average 162 mishaps a year, six of them fatal. In 1933, the bridge was remodeled and became the first bridge in the United States to have steel-mesh grating. Such a technological first prompted the president of the United States at the time, Franklin D. Roosevelt, to come to Seattle and dedicate the bridge on April 7 of that year. With the new grating, the bridge became significantly safer, and no one has been hurt due its slipperiness.

The Montlake Bridge

This bridge is considered to be if one of Seattle's most gorgeous because of its gothic architecture and impressive view of the Montlake cut. The design of the bridge goes back to that of the school it is located next to. Carl Gourd, an innovative architect for the University of Washington, decided to model the two towers of the bridge after the historic-looking school, helping to integrate the designs of the two structures. This year the bridge celebrates its 77th birthday and still holds the same appeal as it did the day it was built.

The Ballard Bridge

Ballard citizens worked long and hard for a bridge that would connect them to the Queen Anne and Magnolia areas, and in 1917 it was finally completed. In the bridge's 85 years, it has seen its share of difficulty, and, beginning last year, a two-year rehabilitation project was started. The original electrical system, which opened and closed the bridge, had a life expectancy of about 40 years. Although it has surpassed this without any major problems, the city decided it needed to be replaced. The $1 million construction project has been going on over a year now, causing closures and delays. But it will soon be over, and the Ballard Bridge will be assured a longer life because of it.

The West Seattle Bridge

The West Seattle Bridge is actually a replacement for another bridge that used to stand in its place. On June 11, 1978, at 2:38 a.m., the freighter The Chavez crashed into the bridge. The boat was carrying 20,000 tons of gypsum and had a length of 550 feet.

The Coast Guard found that both officers of the ship were at fault. The pilot of the ship, Rolf Neslund, was 80 years old and from the Puget Sound area. Two weeks after the incident he retired; the master of this ship was fired. Later, while on Lopez island, Neslund disappeared. Even though his body wasn't recovered, his wife was convicted of murdering him and went to jail for the rest of her life.

Before the incident, there had been much controversy over building a higher West Seattle bridge. The wreck gave as much reason as any to do it. With the help of federal funds, the bridge was built in 1984 and still shuttles traffic back and forth from West Seattle to downtown today.

© 2008-2009 The Falcon        Contact        SPU.edu