First Avenue South Bridge

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First Avenue South Bridge
Lower Duwamish River.jpg
The original First Avenue South Bridge over the Duwamish, before the construction of the southbound span
Coordinates 47°32′32″N122°20′04″W / 47.54222°N 122.33444°W / 47.54222; -122.33444 Coordinates: 47°32′32″N122°20′04″W / 47.54222°N 122.33444°W / 47.54222; -122.33444
CarriesWA-99.svg SR 99
Crosses Duwamish River
Locale Seattle, Washington
Characteristics
Design Bascule bridge
Total length3,010 ft (920 m) (northbound) [1]
2,895 ft (882 m) (southbound) [1]
History
Opened1956 (northbound)
1997 (southbound)

The First Avenue South Bridge is a pair of double-leaf bascule bridges built between 1956 and 1998 that carry State Route 99 over the Duwamish River about three miles (5 km) south of downtown Seattle, Washington.

Bascule bridge moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or "leaf," throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic

A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or "leaf", throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- or double-leafed.

Bridge structure built to span physical obstacles

A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle, such as a body of water, valley, or road, without closing the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, usually something that can be detrimental to cross otherwise. There are many different designs that each serve a particular purpose and apply to different situations. Designs of bridges vary depending on the function of the bridge, the nature of the terrain where the bridge is constructed and anchored, the material used to make it, and the funds available to build it.

State Route 99 (SR 99), also known as the Pacific Highway, is a state highway in the Seattle metropolitan area, part of the U.S. state of Washington. It runs 49 miles (79 km) from Fife in the south to Everett in the north, passing through the cities of Federal Way, SeaTac, Seattle, Shoreline, and Lynnwood. The route primarily follows arterial streets but has several freeway segments, including the SR 99 Tunnel in Downtown Seattle.

Contents

The northbound span was built in 1956 to connect the industrial areas northeast of the Duwamish to the residential neighborhoods to the south and southwest. Between 1996 and 1998, the drawspan was retrofitted and the approaches completely demolished and rebuilt. The southbound span opened in February 1997 and carried traffic in both directions for two years while the northbound span was rebuilt. [2]

In 2001, the southbound span was damaged by the Nisqually earthquake, knocking its piers 3 inches out of alignment, and was closed briefly for repairs. [3]

2001 Nisqually earthquake Earthquake in Washington, USA in March 2001

The 2001 Nisqually earthquake occurred at 10:54:32 local time on February 28, 2001. The intraslab earthquake had a moment magnitude of 6.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The epicenter was in the southern Puget Sound, northeast of Olympia, but the shock was felt in Oregon, Canada, eastern Washington, and Idaho. This was one of several large earthquakes that occurred in the Puget Sound region in the prior 52 years and caused property damage valued at between one and four billion dollars. One person died of a heart attack and several hundred were injured.

From the original construction to February 1995 when the retrofit began, the First Ave S bridge had the highest motor vehicle accident rate in Washington State.[ citation needed ]

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Bridge List" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. May 2010. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
  2. Beers, Carole (February 2, 1997). "New Duwamish span opens while old one is fixed". The Seattle Times. p. B1.
  3. "First Avenue bridge to close this weekend for repairs". Seattle Post-Intelligencer . 2001-03-08.[ dead link ]

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