Ship Canal Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Ship Canal Bridge is a double-deck steel truss bridge that carries Interstate 5
over Seattle's Portage Bay
(part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal
, after which it is named) between Capitol Hill
and the University District
. The canal below connects Lake Union with Lake Washington. Construction was completed in 1961 and the bridge opened to traffic in December 1962. It is 4,429 ft (1,350 meters) long, stands 182 feet above the canal and is 119 feet wide at the upper deck. It was the largest bridge of its kind in the Northwest when it first opened. The bridge is double decked, with the upper deck carrying traffic in both directions and the lower deck (the express lanes) carrying traffic southbound in the morning and northbound in the afternoon.
Other nearby bridges include University Bridge, Montlake Bridge
, and George Washington Memorial Bridge
(the Aurora Ave bridge).
After the Mississippi River Bridge collapse of August 1, 2007 this is one of the bridges WSDOT is inspecting as it is a similar design.
Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is the main Interstate Highway on the West Coast of the United States, running largely parallel to the Pacific Ocean coastline from Canada to Mexico . It serves some of the largest cities on the U.S...
over Seattle's Portage Bay
Portage Bay
Portage Bay is an arm of Seattle, Washington's Lake Union and is part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal. Its western limit can be said to be the Ship Canal Bridge, which carries Interstate 5 over the water; North Passage Point Park and South Passage Point Park sit on opposite shores between the...
(part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal
Lake Washington Ship Canal
The Lake Washington Ship Canal, which runs through the City of Seattle, Washington, connects the fresh water body of Lake Washington with the salt water inland sea of Puget Sound. The Ship Canal includes a series of locks, modeled after the Panama Canal, to accommodate the different water levels...
, after which it is named) between Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington
Capitol Hill is the most densely populated residential district in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the center of the city's gay and counterculture communities, and is one of the city's most prominent nightlife and entertainment districts....
and the University District
University District, Seattle, Washington
The University District is a neighborhood in Seattle, Washington, so named because the main campus of the University of Washington is located there. The UW moved in two years after the area was annexed to Seattle, while much of the area was still clear cut forest or stump farmland...
. The canal below connects Lake Union with Lake Washington. Construction was completed in 1961 and the bridge opened to traffic in December 1962. It is 4,429 ft (1,350 meters) long, stands 182 feet above the canal and is 119 feet wide at the upper deck. It was the largest bridge of its kind in the Northwest when it first opened. The bridge is double decked, with the upper deck carrying traffic in both directions and the lower deck (the express lanes) carrying traffic southbound in the morning and northbound in the afternoon.
Other nearby bridges include University Bridge, Montlake Bridge
Montlake Bridge
The Montlake Bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge that carries Montlake Boulevard over Seattle's Montlake Cut--part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal--connecting Montlake and the University District....
, and George Washington Memorial Bridge
George Washington Memorial Bridge
For other bridges of the same name, see Washington Bridge .The George Washington Memorial Bridge is a cantilever and truss bridge that carries Aurora Avenue N. over the west end of Seattle's Lake Union between Queen Anne and Fremont, just east of the Fremont Cut...
(the Aurora Ave bridge).
After the Mississippi River Bridge collapse of August 1, 2007 this is one of the bridges WSDOT is inspecting as it is a similar design.