Evergreen Point Floating Bridge

The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, now officially the Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge—Evergreen Point, is the longest floating bridge in the state of Washington at 2,285 meters. It carries State Route 520 across Lake Washington from Seattle to Medina and is often called the "520 bridge" by locals. The Evergreen Point of the bridge's original name is the westernmost of the three small Eastside peninsulas that SR-520 crosses. (The other two are Hunts Point and Yarrow Point.) In 1988, it was renamed for Governor Rosellini, who had advocated its construction.

History

roughly east to where Portage Bay opens up into Lake Washington. Evergreen Point is across the lake.]] The bridge's opening day was August 28, 1963. The bridge was built as a four-lane toll bridge to provide easy access from Seattle to Eastside communities such as Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond. Construction of this bridge led to a dramatic increase in Redmond's population, jumping from less than 1,500 in 1960 to 11,000 in 1970. It was the second floating bridge to cross Lake Washington, the first being the Lake Washington Floating Bridge, built in 1940 as part of U.S. Route 10, later part of Interstate 90, which at its construction was the largest floating structure ever built. Tolls were lifted from the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge in 1979, and the wide area or road where tolls were collected is now used for bus stops. In 1989, an electrical fault caused the drawspan to open during rush hour, causing one death and five injuries. In 2000, a gravel barge struck the bridge, closing it for eleven days and causing $500,000 worth of damage.

Future replacement

Today the bridge is near the end of its useful life, according to the state Department of Transportation. In 1997, Myint Lwin, WSDOT's chief bridge engineer at that time, said that even with repairs, the bridge can be expected to last only about twenty more years (until 2017). The bridge must be closed in high winds, and even after a seismic retrofit in 1999, it is at risk of collapse in an earthquake. Due to the weight of various reinforcements over the years, the bridge currently rides about a foot lower in the water than it did originally. The DOT is working on replacing the aging bridge with a new span of six lanes.

The bridge is anchored by a large number of high-strength cables. According to an interview conducted by local newspapers,[] a severe storm during the bridge's lifespan came within strands of breaking some of these cables, which would have resulted in the catastrophic collapse of the bridge. Since then, additional cables have been added, and much of the bridge has been replaced with lighter materials, but the danger remains.[] The bridge was originally designed to stand up to a 100-year storm, but the assumptions used actually reflected what is now considered to be a 20-year storm for the Seattle area.[]

The problems with this bridge are widely known, but solutions are difficult to find. Due to political pressures, a pure engineering and construction solution to the bridge cannot go forward. Just five years after the bridge opened, a study commissioned by the state legislature was completed to figure out how to provide for the great demand for cross-lake transportation. That study evaluated bridge and tunnel crossings north and south of the bridge. To help provide the political lubrication needed for any plan to go forward, the Trans-Lake Study was commissioned by the State of Washington. The study brought together 47 representatives of public agencies, neighborhoods, businesses, and advocacy interests. Ten years later, the problems have not been solved. WSDOT is proceeding with plans to build the bridge replacement, with an opening in 2014. To fund these improvements, in May 2009, Gov. Gregoire signed ESHB 2211, which authorizes tolling on the SR 520 bridge beginning in 2010. Tolling the SR 520 bridge allows WSDOT to secure revenue in order to begin pontoon construction in 2010, which is critical to replacing the SR 520 bridge by 2014. Many groups continue to fight the project, even as it steadily moves toward construction.

Usage

, the western high-rise allows small vessels to pass beneath the bridge. The buildings of downtown Bellevue are behind.]] The bridge carries 115,000 vehicles per day but was only designed to carry 65,000. Due to this bottleneck, commuters often follow the motto "anything but the 520 bridge" during peak traffic[], with I-90 or even a northbound loop around the lake via Bothell and Kenmore preferred as alternate routes[ ]. Because Microsoft, one of the area's largest employers, is on the Eastside just off 520, traffic on the bridge tends to be heaviest west-to-east (away from Seattle) in the morning[] and east-to-west (toward Seattle) in the evening [], backward from what one might expect. (The I-90 floating bridge has more typical traffic patterns, with commuters going into Seattle in the morning and returning east in the evening.) Commuters often use this knowledge to take the bridge with the least traffic for their desired trip at various times of day. Electronic signs on I-405 display estimated times to Seattle for both 520 and I-90 routes. Commuters jest about the traffic bottleneck that is created around the 520 bridge and Interstate 405, nicknaming it "The Kirkland Crawl" as it becomes parking lot traffic during peak rush hour, around the city of Kirkland where 520 (coming from Redmond and Microsoft) and 405 (south from Everett and Boeing) meet.

Scenery visible westbound on clear days include the Olympic Mountains and Husky Stadium on the University of Washington campus, as well as two metal sculptures. Eastbound are expensive waterfront homes in Medina, including the large home of Bill Gates on the southern side, which is extensively lit in the holiday season. On clear days, Mount Baker is visible to the north, the Cascade Mountains are the backdrop, and Mount Rainier is to the southeast. Mercer Island is to the south. On July 4, fireworks are visible from many communities and homes along the lake.

The bridge incorporates an infrequently-used drawspan to allow large vessels to pass. Smaller vessels pass under the "high rises," elevated portions of the bridge on each end. The drawspan is also opened during major storms to relieve water pressure.

References

External links

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Tips & Hints
Arrange By:
Eric Hutcheson
26 June 2018
You can walk or bike across now.
Cathy W
21 May 2012
Most popular roosting spots: the art sculptures on the west side of the bridge or the overhead road light
Washington State DOT
3 August 2011
Good to Go electronic tolling is expected to begin in summer of 2011 on the SR 520 bridge to help pay for the construction of a new faster, safer bridge.
Joby Xb
22 September 2018
Be at least 2 to take the HOV lane or else it’s traffic.
christian Salas
10 March 2011
I started a vanpool, and we get through pretty quickly in the carpool lane. With the upcoming toll and gas approaching $4/gallon, I recommend it if you can!
chelsea w.
28 June 2011
Consider bringing a wetsuit and fins if you're a decent swimmer to beat traffic.
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