Didn’t Seattle voters have a bridge too far? I mean the Montlake Bridge. This double-leaf bascule bridge carries State Route 513. It spans Seattle’s Montlake Cut. The Cut is part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal. The bridge connects Montlake and the University District. Let’s delve into the story behind this iconic structure.
The Montlake Bridge stands as the easternmost bridge on the canal. It stretches 344 feet long. Carl F. Gould designed it. He was an architect for the University of Washington campus. The bridge mirrors the university’s Collegiate Gothic style. It provides a clearance of 46 feet. The central bascule span offers even more clearance. It gives 48 feet above Lake Washington’s mean regulated level.
It is one of four original bascule-type drawbridges over the Ship Canal. Ballard, Fremont, and University bridges are the others. The Montlake Bridge was the last to be completed. It has the highest clearance of the four. Also, it is the only one that is part of the state highway system. Its trunnion supports make it unique. These avoided a patent lawsuit by the Strauss Bascule Bridge Company.
The Montlake Cut has a history too. Indigenous Coast Salish people used it as an east-west portage. Their Lushootseed name for it is st̕x̌ʷugʷiɫ. It means carry a canoe. Plans for a canal emerged in the 1860s. The isthmus became the chosen site.
The first bridge was a makeshift walkway. Graduate manager Dar Meisnest set it up. It allowed football fans to cross for a game in 1920. This temporary bridge showed the need for a permanent structure.
The permanent Montlake Bridge opened on June 27, 1925. It was a month ahead of schedule. It was the centerpiece for a local parade. Thousands of residents attended. The city of Seattle built it. It cost $670,000. The Wallace Equipment Company fabricated the steel. A. Munster supervised the construction. J. D. Blackwell was city engineer. D. W. McMorris was assistant engineer.
From 1925 to 1940, streetcars crossed the bridge. From 1940 to 1970, and since 1981, trolleybuses have used it. The Montlake Bridge and nearby University Bridge are special. They are the only movable bridges in the Western Hemisphere still crossed by trolleybuses.
A 1993 report stated high traffic volumes. The Montlake Bridge saw 60,900 vehicles each weekday. Another report from 2001 noted 40,000 vehicles each weekend day. Sidewalks allow pedestrians and bicyclists to cross too. The bridge does not open during rush hours. It opens at designated times. Usually it opens on the hour and half-hour outside of rush hours. Other times, it opens on demand. Openings last about four minutes. Most openings are for sailboats.
The Montlake Bridge creates a bottleneck for traffic. It is a route to State Route 520. Plans to replace SR-520 include a second bascule bridge next to this Montlake Bridge.
The Montlake Bridge is celebrated. It hosts boating season’s opening day festivities. This occurs the first Saturday in May. The bridge and Montlake Cut together are a City of Seattle Designated Landmark. The bridge joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It is owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The Montlake Bridge has traffic lights on each side of the Cut. These lights signal large commercial traffic. Vessels can hail the bridge on channel 13. They can use a horn request. One long and one short blast. Normal bridge opening restrictions exist. These differ from other drawbridges on the Ship Canal. Restrictions are in place during peak hours.
As you stand here, consider the Montlake Bridge. It’s more than steel and concrete. It is a testament to Seattle’s history and ingenuity. A vital link connecting communities and a stage for celebrations. The Montlake Bridge stands as a proud landmark.