First Avenue South Bridge

First Avenue South Bridge

The original First Avenue South Bridge over the Duwamish, before the construction of the southbound span
Coordinates 47°32′32″N 122°20′04″W / 47.54222°N 122.33444°W / 47.54222; -122.33444Coordinates: 47°32′32″N 122°20′04″W / 47.54222°N 122.33444°W / 47.54222; -122.33444
Carries SR 99
Crosses Duwamish River
Locale Seattle, Washington
Characteristics
Design Bascule bridge
Total length 3,010 ft (920 m) (northbound)[1]
2,895 ft (882 m) (southbound)[1]
History
Opened 1956 (northbound)
1996 (southbound)

The First Avenue South Bridge is a pair of double-leaf bascule bridges built between 1956 and 1998 that carry State Route 99 over the Duwamish River about three miles (5 km) south of downtown Seattle, Washington.

The northbound span was built in 1956 to connect the industrial areas northeast of the Duwamish to the residential neighborhoods to the south and southwest. Between 1996 and 1998, the drawspan was retrofitted and the approaches completely demolished and rebuilt. The southbound span opened in 1996 and carried traffic in both directions for two years while the northbound span was rebuilt.

In 2001, the southbound span was damaged by the Nisqually earthquake, knocking its piers 3 inches out of alignment, and was closed briefly for repairs.[2]

From the original construction to February 1995 when the retrofit began, the First Ave S bridge had the highest motor vehicle accident rate in Washington State.

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Bridge List" (PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. May 2010. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
  2. "First Avenue bridge to close this weekend for repairs". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. 2001-03-08.

References

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