University Bridge (Seattle)

Last updated

University Bridge
University Bridge from Ship Canal Bridge - 01.jpg
University Bridge in July 2018 as seen from the taller Ship Canal Bridge
Coordinates 47°39′11.1″N122°19′12.4″W / 47.653083°N 122.320111°W / 47.653083; -122.320111
CarriesEastlake Avenue
Crosses Portage Bay
Locale Seattle, Washington
Characteristics
Design Bascule bridge
Longest span218 ft (66 m) [1]
History
OpenedJuly 1, 1919
University Bridge
LocationSpans Lake Washington Ship Canal,
Seattle, Washington
Built1915–1919
MPS Historic Bridges/Tunnels in Washington State TR
NRHP reference No. 82004254 [2]
Added to NRHPJuly 16, 1982
Location
University Bridge (Seattle)

The University Bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge in Seattle, Washington that carries Eastlake Avenue traffic over Portage Bay between Eastlake to the south and the University District to the north. It opened on July 1, 1919, and was extensively rebuilt from 1932 to 1933. [3] It is included in the National Register of Historic Places.

Contents

History

The bridge opened in 1919 under the name of Eastlake Avenue Bridge (also then known as the Tenth Avenue Northeast Bridge). It got its current and proper name on June 30, 1919. [4]

By 1930, the bridge had begun to deteriorate enough for an extensive refit to be ordered: the timber trestle approaches were replaced with ones made out of concrete and steel, the control towers were rebuilt, and the wooden paving was replaced by the first application of open steel-mesh grating in the United States. Wooden paving had to be replaced every ten years or so; the steel-mesh grating has been replaced once, in 1990. The reconstructed bridge was opened April 7, 1933. [4]

All three double-leaf bascule bridges (Ballard, Fremont, and University) were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. [5]

In 2014, its electronic controls were replaced after several components had worn out and caused multi-hour delays to lift and lower the bridge. [6] During especially hot summer days, the University Bridge need daily dousings with cool water to avoid expanding so much that they bind. [7]

Sinkhole

On May 2, 2007, a 24-inch (61 cm) water main broke near the south end of the University Bridge, creating a 10-foot-deep (3.0 m) sinkhole forcing the closure of the bridge. [8] The sinkhole also swallowed two unoccupied parked cars. The water main break compromised water quality and pressure in a large part of the Eastlake neighborhood, making tap water brown and unpotable. Many restaurants and other businesses were forced to close. There was concern for the integrity of a 40-inch main adjacent to the smaller one that broke. With the bridge closed, surface traffic between Seattle's University District and Downtown areas was heavily impacted. It was reopened on May 3, 2007, after city workers poured about 40 cubic yards of stabilizing concrete-sand slurry around the southern base of the bridge. [9]

Occupy Seattle

On November 17, 2011, the University Bridge was shut down by demonstrators for about an hour and a half during the evening rush hour, snarling traffic around the University District. The demonstrators included Occupy Seattle protesters, students, union workers, and church leaders. The protests were part of a national Day of Action against cuts to infrastructure, health care, and education spending. [10]

Pictures

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington State Route 520</span> Freeway in King County, Washington, US

State Route 520 (SR 520) is a state highway and freeway in the Seattle metropolitan area, part of the U.S. state of Washington. It runs 13 miles (21 km) from Seattle in the west to Redmond in the east. The freeway connects Seattle to the Eastside region of King County via the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge on Lake Washington. SR 520 intersects several state highways, including Interstate 5 (I-5) in Seattle, I-405 in Bellevue, and SR 202 in Redmond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington State Route 99</span> Highway in the Seattle metropolitan area, Washington, U.S.

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 to Everett, passing through the cities of Federal Way, SeaTac, Seattle, Shoreline, and Lynnwood. The route primarily follows arterial streets, including Aurora Avenue, and has several freeway segments, including the tolled SR 99 Tunnel in Downtown Seattle. SR 99 was officially named the William P. Stewart Memorial Highway by the state legislature in 2016, after a campaign to replace an unofficial moniker honoring Confederate president Jefferson Davis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballard Bridge</span> Drawbridge in Seattle, Washington, United States

The Ballard Bridge, also known as the 15th Avenue Bridge, is a double-leaf bascule bridge in Seattle, Washington. It carries 15th Avenue NW over Seattle's Salmon Bay between Ballard to the north and Interbay to the south. The Ballard Bridge follows the Fremont Bridge in the east in the succession of bridges spanning the Lake Washington Ship Canal, which connects Lake Washington in the east to Puget Sound in the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fremont Bridge (Seattle)</span> Drawbridge in Seattle, Washington, United States

The Fremont Bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge that spans the Fremont Cut in Seattle, Washington. The bridge, which connects Fremont Avenue North and 4th Avenue North, connects the neighborhoods of Fremont and Queen Anne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montlake Bridge</span> Drawbridge in Seattle, Washington, United States

The Montlake Bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge that carries State Route 513 over Seattle's Montlake Cut—part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal—connecting Montlake and the University District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aurora Bridge</span> Highway bridge in Seattle, US

The Aurora Bridge is a cantilever and truss bridge in Seattle, Washington, United States. It carries State Route 99 over the west end of Seattle's Lake Union and connects Queen Anne and Fremont. The bridge is located just east of the Fremont Cut, which itself is spanned by the Fremont Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alaskan Way Viaduct</span> Former elevated highway in Seattle, Washington

The Alaskan Way Viaduct was an elevated freeway in Seattle, Washington, United States, that carried a section of State Route 99. The double-decked freeway ran north–south along the city's waterfront for 2.2 miles (3.5 km), east of Alaskan Way and Elliott Bay, and traveled between the West Seattle Freeway in SoDo and the Battery Street Tunnel in Belltown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadway Bridge (Portland, Oregon)</span> Bridge in Portland, Oregon

The Broadway Bridge is a Rall-type bascule bridge spanning the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States, built in 1913. It was Portland's first bascule bridge, and it continues to hold the distinction of being the longest span of its bascule design type in the world. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Seattle Bridge</span> Bridge in Seattle, Washington

The West Seattle Bridge, officially the Jeanette Williams Memorial Bridge, is a cantilevered segmental bridge that serves as the primary connection between West Seattle and important highways such as State Route 99, the Spokane Street Viaduct, and Interstate 5. It was built between 1981 and 1984 after the previous bascule bridge was deemed inoperable as a result of being struck by the freighter Antonio Chavez in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DuSable Bridge</span> Bridge in Chicago, Illinois

The DuSable Bridge is a bascule bridge that carries Michigan Avenue across the main stem of the Chicago River in downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States. The bridge was proposed in the early 20th century as part of a plan to link Grant Park (downtown) and Lincoln Park (uptown) with a grand boulevard. Construction of the bridge started in 1918, it opened to traffic in 1920, and decorative work was completed in 1928. The bridge provides passage for vehicles and pedestrians on two levels. An example of a fixed trunnion bascule bridge, it may be raised to allow tall ships and boats to pass underneath. The bridge is included in the Michigan–Wacker Historic District and has been designated as a Chicago Landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Park Bridge</span> Drawbridge in Seattle, Washington, United States

The South Park Bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge in Seattle, Washington, United States. Opened in 2014, the current bridge replaced a 1931 bascule bridge that carried the same name and had been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The bridge is operated by the King County government. It carries automobile traffic over the Duwamish River near Boeing Field, just outside the city limits of Seattle, and is named for the nearby South Park neighborhood of Seattle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spokane Street Bridge</span> Swing bridge in Seattle, Washington, United States

The Spokane Street Bridge, also known as the West Seattle Low-Level Bridge, is a concrete double-leaf swing bridge in Seattle, Washington. It carries Southwest Spokane Street over the Duwamish River, connecting Harbor Island to West Seattle. It has two separate end-to-end swing-span sections, each 480 feet (150 m) long. Its construction was finished in 1991, replacing an earlier bridge destroyed by a collision. It is named after Spokane Street, which itself is named after Spokane, Washington, which is named after the Spokane people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spokane Street Viaduct</span>

The Spokane Street Viaduct is a freeway connecting the West Seattle Bridge to Interstate 5. It runs above South Spokane Street in the SoDo neighborhood of Seattle and is generally four to six lanes wide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Jefferson Avenue–Rouge River Bridge</span> United States historic place

The West Jefferson Avenue–Rouge River Bridge is a historic double-leaf bascule bridge in Wayne County, Michigan, at the border of the cities of Detroit and River Rouge. The bridge carries Jefferson Avenue, a major thoroughfare in Southwest Detroit, over the River Rouge, an important inland route for lake freighters. The bridge was built in 1922, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">US 31–Island Lake Outlet Bridge</span> Bridge in Charlevoix, Michigan

The US 31–Island Lake Outlet Bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge in downtown Charlevoix in the U.S. state of Michigan. The bridge carries U.S. Highway 31 across Island Lake Outlet that ultimately connects Lake Charlevoix to Lake Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheboygan Bascule Bridge</span> Bridge in Cheboygan, Michigan

The Cheboygan Bascule Bridge, also known as the State Street Bridge, is a double-leaf bascule bridge in Cheboygan, Michigan, carrying U.S. Highway 23 across the Cheboygan River. Built in 1940, it was the last bascule bridge constructed in the state of Michigan prior to the end of World War II. It replaced an aging swing bridge built in 1877. The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Street Bridge (Connecticut)</span> Bridge in Connecticut , United States (1919–1990)

The Grand Street Bridge was a double-leaf deck-girder bascule bridge in Bridgeport, Connecticut, United States, that spanned the Pequonnock River and connected Grand Street and Artic Street. It was one of three movable bridges planned by the City of Bridgeport in 1916 at the request of the War Department during World War I. Construction was completed in 1919, but the delays surrounding the construction went to the Connecticut Supreme Court in case of Edward DeV. Tompkins, Inc. vs. City of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The court ruled in favor of Tompkins and awarded damages equal to the contract. In 1936, the bridge had excessive settling and required the replacement of its southeast pier. As part of the repairs, a new floor and electrical system were installed. In 1965, the floor was replaced with a steel grate on I-beam floor. In 1984, the eastern approach span was replaced and the northwest trunnion post was reconstructed. The bridge was closed in the 1990s and dismantled in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairview Avenue North Bridge</span> Bridge undergoing reconstruction in Seattle, Washington

The Fairview Avenue North Bridge is a road bridge in the Eastlake neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States, crossing a shallow arm of Lake Union. The original timber-pile bridge was built in 1948 and expanded with a concrete span in 1963. Both bridges were replaced by a new span that opened in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barra Strait Bridge</span> Canadian bascule road bridge

The Barra Strait Bridge is a Canadian road bridge crossing the Barra Strait of Bras d'Or Lake, carrying Nova Scotia Route 223 between Iona, Victoria County, on the West side, and Grand Narrows, Cape Breton County on the east side. The bridge incorporates a double leaf bascule section at its eastern end to permit the continued passage of marine traffic through the strait.

References

  1. Rapp, F. A. (April 8, 1920). "Three Double-Leaf Bascule Bridges at Seattle, Wash". Engineering News-Record . Vol. 84, no. 15. New York City: McGraw-Hill Publishing. pp. 718–722. ISSN   0891-9526. OCLC   6316228 . Retrieved September 17, 2024 via The Internet Archive.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  3. Long, Priscilla (March 27, 2001). "Seattle's University Bridge opens on July 1, 1919". HistoryLink . Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  4. 1 2 Myra L. Phelps, Public Works in Seattle: A Narrative History: the Engineering Department, 1875-1975 (Seattle: Seattle Engineering Department, 1978)
  5. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form". National Park Service. October 31, 1984. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  6. Lindblom, Mike (March 11, 2024). "Seattle's University Bridge undergoing a reboot". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  7. Lindblom, Lindblom (August 4, 2017). "Seattle's University Bridge getting regular baths to protect it from the heat". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on August 7, 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  8. "Massive sinkhole swallows cars, shuts down water service in Eastlake". Seattle P-I. May 2, 2007. Retrieved March 21, 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  9. Green, Sara Jean; Lindblom, Mike; Gilmore, Susan; Carter, Mike (May 3, 2007). "U. Bridge open again after repairs". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
  10. Lindblom, Mike (November 17, 2011). "University Bridge seized in rush-hour rally for jobs". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2011.