Something to consider if you travel on The (High) Bridge today

In about two hours, it’ll be exactly 30 years since the freighter crash that you can thank for the existence of The (high) Bridge. And as you probably know, the case took an even weirder twist years later, when the captain who hit the (old) bridge, Rolf Neslund, was murdered by his wife — a killing that area author Ann Rule turned into one of her recent best-sellers. Six years and one month after the freighter crash, the current (high) bridge opened. You can find great photos of the massive construction project here.

chas redmond June 11, 2008 (12:45 am)

That’s awesome. I wonder if anyone has real-estate value charts which track from before the accident to after the new bridge was opened? What was employment here like in that same time frame? What was the cost of food here versus – say – Ballard during that period?
–
These might be useful as examples of what we’re facing depending on which way the Viaduct argument goes.
–
Time to consider individual cityhood again?

Trick June 11, 2008 (12:45 am)

Might make you think twice before retiring.
(Ruth was distraught over his retirement pension)

I think she chopped him up with an axe.

WSB June 11, 2008 (12:52 am)

While digging up links for this blurb, I found this archived P-I story from the last secession talk in the ’90s:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/archives/1995/9503280096.asp
Charts might be a little harder to find, though King County has a lot of stuff in the archives. I’d go look myself right now but I’ve got two more articles (unrelated to publish) before shutting down for the night. Gotta find a good bridge photo to go with this too, just wanted to get the verbiage up there first :)

old timer June 11, 2008 (1:09 am)

I sometimes miss the old drawbridge.
It was always up when you really needed it to be down!
But, when you came across that old low-level bridge with it’s metal/mesh surface, and started climbing up Fauntleroy into West Seattle, you really felt like you had left the ‘city’ behind, and you were coming to a special, almost secret place.
I still feel like it’s a special place, just not so secret anymore.

miws June 11, 2008 (4:31 am)

Hard to believe it’s been 30 years!

Later, when I have more time, I’ll have to post my story of how I discovered the “stuck-up” bridge. I think I’ve posted it here on the Blog before, but it’s so exciting, and mind boggling, I think it bears repeating! Get the popcorn ready, folks! :P

Mike

miws June 11, 2008 (6:17 am)

Okay, here goes!

That morning, I decided to go to Sears. I was on the #18 bus, (comparable to today’s #22). As the bus came up the ramp by the Fire Station, from lower Spokane Street, I had a fleeting thought, wondering how traffic would be detoured, should one of the two drawbridges be stuck in the up position, and thus unusable by auto traffic.

As the bus approached “topside”, and I saw the upright northern bridge, my question was answered!

I hadn’t heard, or seen, anything regarding the incident on radio, TV, or newspaper. It’s kinda fun to think ESP, but the only logical answer I could come up with, is that my clock radio was on overnight (most likely tuned in to KJR 950 AM, when it was a Top-40 Station), and the DJ made mention of it, and at whatever level of sleep I happened to be at the moment, the incident was planted into my mind sub-conciously

Mike

arborheightist June 11, 2008 (6:57 am)

Six years to replace the bridge. It’s been almost seven years since the Nisqually Earthquake – how’s that new Viaduct doing?

old timer June 11, 2008 (8:18 am)

@ arborheightist
Those were different times, when our elected officials had some common sense and could work together.
Jeannette Williams, Scoop Jackson, Warren Magnuson, they were on the bridge problem from the day of the wreck. In a flash they got funding and design and plans – and got it going.
As you can see, we’ve seemingly lost our ability to do much.
3 years for a new bus route (RapidRide), Viaduct in limbo, Monorail, too much to handle. Someone did get a 1.5 mile streetcar!
Well, we all know, so I’ll stop.

Gina June 11, 2008 (8:54 am)

The week after the bridge was stuck up was my scheduled driver’s ed test of driving on I-5. At the time I thought it was great, because we didn’t have to go, we just drove up and down 35th to Delridge a billionteen times.

Erik June 11, 2008 (10:55 am)

I can’t find the story, but I recall the same ship (Chavez) hit the new upper level bridge once too with one of it’s cranes in the upright position?

Jen V. June 11, 2008 (12:25 pm)

Historylink.org- what a great site!

fiz June 11, 2008 (1:44 pm)

Remember the “Where Were You When The Ship Hit The Span?” tee shirts? Can’t find mine.

Indaknow June 11, 2008 (4:25 pm)

I sure remember those shirts; every time I think of the Chavez that slogan pops into my head!

Bernicki June 11, 2008 (4:32 pm)

What did Rolf Neslund say when he ran his ship into the West Seattle Bridge?

ZS June 11, 2008 (4:52 pm)

Let’s say the next earthquake takes out the “new” West Seattle Bridge, will we have to wait ten years for a replacement again?

Cities like LA and San Francisco mobilized very quick to fix their infrastructure after major earthquakes. I don’t, however, have the same faith in Seattle.