WHAT'S HERE:

• Where in the World is the Tacoma Narrows?
• 1940 Narrows Bridge
• 1950 Narrows Bridge (westbound)
• 2007 Narrows Bridge (eastbound)
• Speaking of Bridges . . . A Note on Terminology
• Photo and Image Credits

(Note: This site was developed during the construction of the 2007 Narrows Bridge. It's been preserved for the historical value, but some of the information provided was outdated by the completion of the 2007 Bridge.)

Where in the World is the Tacoma Narrows?

You'll find the "Tacoma Narrows" in western Washington State in the Pacific Northwest.

It's located some 8 miles west of downtown Tacoma (the seat of Pierce County government) and 40 miles south of Seattle on State Route 16. There, the blue waters of Puget Sound become a narrow channel almost a mile wide.

		Narrows Bridge WSA, WSDOT records

1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge

Slender, elegant and graceful, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge stretched like a steel ribbon across Puget Sound in 1940. The third longest suspension span in the world opened on July 1st. Only four months later, the great span's short life ended in disaster. "Galloping Gertie," collapsed in a windstorm on November 7,1940.

The bridge became famous as "the most dramatic failure in bridge engineering history." Now, it's also "one of the world's largest man-made reefs." The sunken remains of Galloping Gertie were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992 to protect her from salvagers.

A dramatic tale of failure and success
The story of the failure of the 1940 Narrows Bridge and the success of the Current Narrows Bridge is a great American saga. When Galloping Gertie splashed into Puget Sound, it created ripple effects across the nation and around the world. The event changed forever how engineers design suspension bridges. Gertie's failure led to the safer suspension spans we use today.

		Current Narrows Bridge prior to the start of construction on the new Narrows Bridge project.

The 1950 Narrows Bridge

After 29 months of construction, a new and much safer Tacoma Narrows Bridge opened on Oct. 14, 1950. The current bridge is the 5th longest suspension bridge in the United States. Located on State Route 16 between Tacoma and Gig Harbor, the bridge is 5,979 feet in length. That's 40 feet longer than its predecessor, Galloping Gertie.

Engineers designed the current bridge to carry 60,000 cars a day. But, now it handles an average of over 90,000 vehicles daily.

Here's how the current Tacoma Narrows Bridge compares with other major suspension bridges in the United States.

		The vision of the New (2007) Narrows Bridge, WSDOT Read more...

The 2007 Narrows Bridge

In 1998 the public was asked, "Should the Tacoma Narrows Bridge be modified and a parallel bridge constructed, financed by tolls on bridge traffic and operated as a public-private partnership?" A majority of the voters answered "Yes." Since then, WSDOT and Tacoma Narrows Contractors (TNC) have been developing plans for the new bridge.

The newest Tacoma Narrows Bridge is being built next to the current bridge. Construction began in October 2002. The project is expected to cost $849 million. The new bridge will significantly improve traffic flow, reducing the three to four hour backups that commuters now face.

Updated information about the 2007 Bridge construction.
 

Speaking of Bridges ... A Note on Terminology

Photo and Image Credits

The photographs and other graphic images on this web site are identified below each image in a caption that also credits to the loaning institution. These images are the exclusive property of the cited institutions. For questions and permission to reproduce images, please contact the institution credited.

top

    Traffic & Roads | Search | Contact WSDOT | WSDOT Business | WSDOT Home