The design and construction of the Hood Canal Bridge is an exciting engineering feat. Below are the incredible numbers involved that make up the floating structure.
Hood Canal Bridge Project Timeline
|
Construction began |
1959 |
|
Original Bridge opened |
Aug. 12, 1961 |
|
West half sunk |
Feb. 13, 1979 |
|
West half replaced |
October 1982 |
|
East-half replacement & west-half retrofit project began |
1997 |
|
Approach spans replaced |
2005 |
|
East-half replacement & bridge closure |
May-June 2009 |
|
West-half retrofit completion |
2010 |
Hood Canal Bridge Facts
|
Length of bridge |
1.5 miles |
|
Floating bridge over saltwater ranking (in the world) |
Longest |
|
Floating bridge ranking (in the world) |
Second longest |
|
Length of floating portion of bridge |
7,869 feet |
|
Traffic Lanes |
Two |
|
Water depth below bridge |
80 to 340 feet |
|
Tidal swings |
Up to 16.5 feet |
|
|
|
Approach Spans |
|
|
West approach span replaced |
Aug. 15-17, 2005 |
|
Time required |
52 hours |
|
Length |
190 feet
|
|
Weight |
1,000 tons
|
|
|
|
|
East approach span replaced |
Aug. 25-27, 2005 |
|
Time required |
48 hours |
|
Length |
640 feet
|
|
Weight |
3,800 tons
|
|
|
|
|
Transition Spans |
|
|
Length
Width
Height
Weight |
280 feet
70 feet
40 feet
800 tons |
|
|
|
Anchors |
|
|
Number of anchors |
46 |
|
West-half anchors |
26
|
|
East-half anchors |
20 |
|
Diameter |
46'-60'
|
|
Weight (empty) |
995-1,385 tons |
|
Height |
29'
|
|
|
|
Pontoons |
|
|
Total number of pontoons |
36 |
|
Depth of water required to float pontoons |
12 feet |
|
West-half roadway pontoons |
9 |
|
West-half draw span pontoons |
10 |
|
East-half roadway pontoons |
7 |
|
East-half draw span pontoons |
10 |
|
Weight of heaviest pontoon |
10,358 tons |
|
Weight of lightest pontoon |
3,709 tons
|
|
Length of longest pontoon |
360 feet
|
|
Length of shortest pontoon |
60 feet
|
|
East-half pontoons replacement goal |
June 2009 |
|
East-half pontoons constructed |
14 |
|
East-half pontoons retrofitted |
3 |
East-half Pontoons (to be replaced in 2009)
|
Pontoon |
Length |
Width |
Height
|
Weight* (tons)
|
|
1 |
PA |
311' 9" |
40'
|
21'
|
5,980
|
|
2 |
PB |
311'9"
|
40'
|
21'
|
5,980
|
|
3 |
Q |
90' 4.5"
|
153' 4"
|
21'
|
6,645
|
|
4 |
NA |
193' 4.5"
|
40'
|
21'
|
3,900
|
|
5 |
NB |
193' 4.5"
|
40'
|
21'
|
3,900
|
|
6 |
YD |
60'
|
152'
|
16'
|
3,500
|
|
7 |
YE |
60'
|
152'
|
16'
|
3,500
|
|
8 |
YF |
60'
|
152'
|
16'
|
3,500
|
|
9 |
ZD |
247' 6"
|
60'
|
21'
|
7,121
|
|
10 |
ZC |
247' 6"
|
60'
|
21'
|
7,121
|
|
11 |
U |
359' 9"
|
60'
|
18' |
10,351 |
|
12 |
V |
197' 9"
|
60'
|
21' |
5,189
|
|
13 |
W |
324' 11.5"
|
60'
|
18'
|
9,350
|
|
14 |
X |
60'
|
180'
|
18'
|
5,179
|
|
15
|
R
|
360'
|
60'
|
21'
|
10,358
|
|
16
|
S
|
360'
|
60'
|
21'
|
10,358
|
|
17
|
T
|
180' |
60'
|
21'
|
5,179
|
West-half Pontoons (replaced in 1982)
| |
Pontoon |
Length |
Width |
Height
|
Weight* (tons)
|
|
1 |
A
|
60'
|
180'
|
21'
|
5,179
|
|
2 |
B |
325' 4"
|
60'
|
21'
|
9,360
|
|
3 |
C
|
360'
|
60'
|
21'
|
10,358
|
|
4 |
D
|
360'
|
60'
|
21'
|
10,358
|
|
5 |
E
|
360'
|
60'
|
21'
|
10,358
|
|
6 |
F
|
360'
|
60'
|
21'
|
10,358
|
|
7 |
G
|
360'
|
60'
|
21'
|
10,358
|
|
8 |
H
|
360'
|
60'
|
21'
|
10,358
|
|
9 |
J
|
360'
|
60'
|
21'
|
10,358
|
|
10 |
K
|
92'
|
153' 9"
|
21'
|
6,783
|
|
11 |
LA
|
312'
|
40'
|
21'
|
5,984
|
|
12 |
LB
|
312'
|
40'
|
21'
|
5,984
|
|
13 |
MA
|
193' 6"
|
40'
|
21'
|
3,711
|
|
14 |
MB
|
193' 6"
|
40'
|
21'
|
3,711
|
|
15
|
YA
|
60'
|
152'
|
17'
|
4,956
|
|
16
|
YB
|
60'
|
152'
|
17'
|
4,956
|
|
17
|
YC
|
60'
|
152'
|
17'
|
4,956
|
|
18
|
ZA
|
248'
|
60'
|
21'
|
7,135
|
|
19
|
ZB
|
248'
|
60'
|
21'
|
7,135
|
*Weight includes the superstructure built on top of the pontoons.