Fremont Bridge (Seattle)
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| Fremont Bridge | |
|---|---|
 The Fremont Bridge from the George Washington Memorial Bridge |
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| Crosses | Fremont Cut |
| Locale | Seattle, Washington |
| Design | bascule |
| Longest span | 242 feet (74 m) |
| Total length | 502 feet |
| Clearance below | 30 feet |
| Opening date | July 15, 1917 |
| Maps and aerial photos | |
The Fremont Bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge that connects Fremont and 4th Avenues N. 30 feet over Seattle's Fremont Cut between Fremont and Queen Anne.
The Fremont Bridge was opened on Friday June 15, 1917 at a cost of $410,000.[1] The first traffic over the bridge was to "owl cars", the last run of the trolleys, and then after 5am the same day to all other traffic. The Lake Washington Ship Canal was dedicated on July 4, 1917, which has caused confusion about the opening date, for this bridge crosses the canal. The Fremont Bridge is the first of four city bascules to cross the canal, the others being Ballard Bridge (1917), University Bridge (1919), and Montlake Bridge (1925). The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and is also a designated city landmark, ID #110347.[2]
Due to its low clearance, the Fremont Bridge opens an average of 35 times a day, which makes it the most frequently opened drawbridge in the United States[citation needed] and one of the busiest bridges in the world.[3] Federal law gives marine traffic the right-of-way over vehicular traffic, however the Fremont Bridge is closed to water traffic during rush hours.[4]
The bridge's blue and orange color was chosen by voters at a 1985 street fair.[5]
The Fremont Bridge is currently undergoing a $41.9 million restoration project to replace the approaches and maintenance shop, as well as renovation of the mechanical and electrical systems that operate the bascule.[6] The approaches were completed in May 2007[7] and the entire project is expected to last through Spring of 2008.[8]
Confusingly, the Fremont Troll, a long-standing public sculpture, is not located beneath the Fremont Bridge, but rather the nearby Aurora Bridge.
[edit] References
- ^ Holstine, Craig E. (2005). Spanning Washington : Historic Highway Bridges of the Evergreen State. Washington State University Press, 103-104. ISBN 0-87422-281-8.
- ^ Landmarks Alphabetical Listing for F, Individual Landmarks, Department of Neighborhoods, City of Seattle. Accessed 28 December 2007.
- ^ Bridges and Roadway Structures. City of Seattle. Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
- ^ Bridges and Roadway Structures: Bridge Openings. Seattle Department of Transportation. Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
- ^ Broom, Jack (July 5, 2002). Big for our bridges. The Seattle Times. Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
- ^ Fremont Bridge will close overnight this week. Seattle Post-Intelligencer (May 13, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
- ^ All Lanes Of Fremont Bridge Open. KIRO (May 18, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
- ^ Fremont Bridge Approaches Replacement Project. Seattle Department of Transportation. Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
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| Road bridges: | Alaskan Way Viaduct | Ballard Bridge | East Channel Bridge | Evergreen Point Floating Bridge | First Avenue South Bridge | Fremont Bridge | George Washington Memorial Bridge (Aurora Bridge) | Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge (Third Lake Washington Floating Bridge) | Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge (I-90 Floating Bridge) | Magnolia Bridge | Montlake Bridge | Ship Canal Bridge | South Park (14th/16th Ave) Bridge | Spokane Street Bridge | 12th Avenue South Bridge | University Bridge | West Seattle Bridge | |
| Rail bridges/trestles: | Salmon Bay Bridge | Wilburton Trestle | |
| Tunnels: | Battery Street Tunnel | Great Northern Tunnel | Mercer Island Lid | Metro Transit Tunnel | Mount Baker Tunnel | |
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- Fremont Bridge (Seattle) is at coordinates Coordinates:
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