| West Seattle Bridge | |
|---|---|
The West Seattle Bridge from the 12th Avenue South Viewpoint on Beacon Hill. |
|
| Other name(s) | Jeanette Williams Memorial Bridge |
| Carries | vehicles |
| Crosses | Duwamish Waterway |
| Locale | Seattle, Washington |
| Design | segmental, cantilever |
| Total length | 2,607 ft (795 m)[1] |
| Clearance below | 140 ft (42.6 m) |
| Opened | July 1984 |
The high-level West Seattle Bridge is a cantilevered segmental bridge that serves as the primary connection between West Seattle and the rest of the city. It was built between 1981 and 1984 after the previous bascule bridge was deemed inoperable as a result of being struck by the Chavez freighter in 1978. The West Seattle Bridge was renamed as the Jeanette Williams Memorial Bridge on July 6, 2009, in honor of Jeanette Williams, who served on the Seattle City Council from 1970 to 1989, and was instrumental in securing political support for the construction of the bridge.[2][3]
The bridge spans the east and west channels that form the mouth of the Duwamish River at Elliott Bay, crossing over Harbor Island. Its main approaches are Fauntleroy Way S.W. from the west and the Spokane Street Viaduct from the east. The viaduct continues east to Interstate 5 at Columbian Way (exit 163), forming a three-mile (5 km) arterial between West Seattle and I-5. The navigational clearance height of the high-level West Seattle Bridge is 140 feet (42.6 meters).[4]
A low-level West Seattle Bridge of swing-span design spans the west channel of the Duwamish River immediately north of the high-level bridge. The low-level bridge carries the surface-level Spokane Street and has a navigational clearance of 45 feet (13.7 meters).
As of 2011, the Spokane Street Viaduct section between Interstate 5 and WA 99 is being rebuilt and widened. The Spokane Street Viaduct section was one of Seattle's first freeways, built in 1940. The project began in the summer of 2008. The widened roadway will have 3 lanes in each direction and shoulders. A new westbound on and off ramp will be built at 1st Ave S to replace the existing dangerous 4th Ave S off ramp. A new eastbound off ramp to 4th Ave S opened Aug. 16, 2010. The entire Spokane Street project is scheduled to be complete by 2011. The new roadway may be considered for an interstate designation after the upgrade as it connects to the Port of Seattle.
Contents |
| Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|
| Fauntleroy Way Southwest, 35th Avenue Southwest | Ends at an at-grade intersection |
| Admiral Way | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| Harbor Avenue, Avalon Way | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| Delridge Way Southwest, Southwest Spokane Street - South Seattle Community College | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| 11th Avenue Southwest - Harbor Island, Terminal 18 | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| SR 99 north | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance |
| 1st Avenue South | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance |
| 4th Avenue South | Westbound exit |
| Spokane Street, 6th Avenue South | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance |
| I-5 - Portland, Vancouver | |
| Columbian Way, 15th Avenue South | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance |
|
||||||||