Well, the post I was almost finished with just disappeared in a puff of smoke, so I guess I'll start over ... the 'West Seattle Bridge' is a City of Seattle facility; actually, it is two facilities: the 60 year old Spokane Street Viaduct, the low level elevated section over Spokane Street from I-5 to Alaskan Way (approximately) and the high-level bridge which was completed in 1984 that goes the rest of the way over the Duwamish to 35th Ave SW. Note: the low-level bridge built in 1991 is referred to as the Southwest Spokane Street Swing Bridge.
There were numerous fatality collisions on the viaduct section until technological advances allowed the installation of a center barrier that would fit in the narrow space and not exceed the structure's weight limit. The accident that got the most attention was in 1993 when a semi coming up the WB on-ramp at 4th Ave forced a car into oncoming traffic. The car's driver and daughter were killed. As a result, that on-ramp was closed because there was not enough distance for traffic, esp. trucks, to get up to speed before merging. In 1997, the Seattle City Council asked WSDOT to change signs on SR-99 and I-5 to 'West Seattle Bridge' from 'West Seattle Freeway' to change the perception that the speed limit was 60 mph rather than 35 mph and 45 mph respectively (see below for details).
At the moment, the city is in the middle of major upgrades to the Spokane Street Viaduct as part of a multi-agency effort to improve traffic access in the SODO/stadium/AW viaduct area: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/spokanestreet.htm and http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/sodo_construction.htm
City of Seattle Council Resolution Number: 29541
A RESOLUTION requesting that the Washington State Department of Transportation remove the word "Freeway" from the name and signage on entrances to the Spokane Street Viaduct and the West Seattle Bridge.
Date adopted: March 3, 1997
Vote: 9-0
Committee: Full Council
Sponsor: CHONG, MCIVER AND PAGELER
Text
A RESOLUTION requesting that the Washington State Department of Transportation remove the word "Freeway" from the name and signage on entrances to the Spokane Street Viaduct and the West Seattle Bridge.
WHEREAS, the speed limit on the Spokane Street Viaduct is 35 miles per hour; and
WHEREAS, the speed limit on the West Seattle High-Level Bridge is 45 miles per hour; and
WHEREAS, the Spokane Street Viaduct has been the site of over one dozen fatalities in the last 10 years; and
WHEREAS, signs leading to the Spokane Street Viaduct and the West Seattle Bridge from Interstate 5 and Columbian Way indicate that motorists are entering the "West Seattle Freeway"; and
WHEREAS, the use of the word "Freeway" on exit signs may lead motorists to believe that the Spokane Street Viaduct and the West Seattle Bridge are freeways and encourage motorists to drive at the customary freeway speed of 60 miles per hour rather than the posted speed limits; Now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING:
Section 1. The City of Seattle hereby requests the Washington State Department of Transportation to change the name and signage on the Interstate 5 and Columbian Way exits to the West Seattle Bridge and the Spokane Street Viaduct to remove the word "freeway" from these exits.
Historical bonus fact: A second, higher swing bridge to West Seattle was added in 1911. As a cost saving measure, the bridge carried West Seattle’s new Cedar River water mains. Each time it was opened, the mains had to be uncoupled, temporarily shutting off the town’s water supply.
http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=3428
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