Spokane Street Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Spokane Street Bridge is a concrete double-leaf swing bridge
that crosses the Duwamish River
, connecting Harbor Island
to West Seattle. It has a 480 feet (146.3 m) span. Its construction was finished in 1991.
Each 7500 short ton leaf of the bridge floats on a 100 inches (2.5 m) steel barrel in hydraulic oil
. It is claimed to be the only bridge of its type in the world and it has received several awards for its innovation, including the Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award of the American Society of Civil Engineers
in 1992.
The bridge was featured in a 2007 episode of Really Big Things
shown on the Discovery Channel
.
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
that crosses the Duwamish River
Duwamish River
The Duwamish River is the name of the lower of Washington state's Green River. Its industrialized estuary is known as the Duwamish Waterway.- History :...
, connecting Harbor Island
Harbor Island
Harbor Island is an artificial island in the mouth of Seattle, Washington's Duwamish Waterway where it empties into Elliott Bay. Built by the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company, Harbor Island was completed in 1909 and was then the largest artificial island in the world, at 350 acres...
to West Seattle. It has a 480 feet (146.3 m) span. Its construction was finished in 1991.
Each 7500 short ton leaf of the bridge floats on a 100 inches (2.5 m) steel barrel in hydraulic oil
Hydraulic fluid
Hydraulic fluids, also called hydraulic liquids, are the medium by which power is transferred in hydraulic machinery. Common hydraulic fluids are based on mineral oil or water...
. It is claimed to be the only bridge of its type in the world and it has received several awards for its innovation, including the Outstanding Engineering Achievement Award of the American Society of Civil Engineers
American Society of Civil Engineers
The American Society of Civil Engineers is a professional body founded in 1852 to represent members of the civil engineering profession worldwide. It is the oldest national engineering society in the United States. ASCE's vision is to have engineers positioned as global leaders who strive toward...
in 1992.
The bridge was featured in a 2007 episode of Really Big Things
Really Big Things
Really Big Things is a documentary series about massive man-made marvels like big machines, giant telescopes, skyscrapers and other massive structures...
shown on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
.