Fremont Bridge (Seattle)

Infobox Bridge
bridge_name=Fremont Bridge

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caption=The Fremont Bridge from the George Washington Memorial Bridge
official_name=
carries=
crosses=Fremont Cut
locale=Seattle, Washington
maint=
id=
design=bascule
mainspan=242 feet (74 m)
length=502 feet
width=
height=
load=
clearance=
below=30 feet
traffic=
begin=
complete=
open=July 15, 1917
closed=
toll=
map_cue=
map_

map_text=
map_width=
coordinates=
lat=47.64750
long=-122.34967 The Fremont Bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge that connects Fremont and 4th Avenues N. 30 feet over Seattle's Fremont Cut between Fremont and Queen Anne.

The Fremont Bridge was opened on Friday June 15, 1917 at a cost of $410,000. [cite book | last= Holstine | first = Craig E. | title = Spanning Washington : Historic Highway Bridges of the Evergreen State | publisher = Washington State University Press | pages = 103-104 | date = 2005 | id = ISBN 0-87422-281-8 ] The first traffic over the bridge was to "owl cars", the last run of the trolleys, and then after 5am the same day to all other traffic. The Lake Washington Ship Canal was dedicated on July 4, 1917, which has caused confusion about the opening date, for this bridge crosses the canal. The Fremont Bridge is the first of four city bascules to cross the canal, the others being Ballard Bridge (1917), University Bridge (1919), and Montlake Bridge (1925). The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, and is also a designated city landmark, ID #110347. [ [https://www.cityofseattle.gov/neighborhoods/preservation/f.htm Landmarks Alphabetical Listing for F] , Individual Landmarks, Department of Neighborhoods, City of Seattle. Accessed 28 December 2007.]

Due to its low clearance, the Fremont Bridge opens an average of 35 times a day, which makes it the most frequently opened drawbridge in the United StatesFact|date=January 2008 and one of the busiest bridges in the world. [cite web | title = Bridges and Roadway Structures | publisher = City of Seattle | url = http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/transportation/bridges.htm#fremont | accessdate = 2007-05-20] Federal law gives marine traffic the right-of-way over vehicular traffic, however the Fremont Bridge is closed to water traffic during rush hours. [cite web | title = Bridges and Roadway Structures: Bridge Openings | publisher = Seattle Department of Transportation | url = http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/bridgeopenings.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-20]

The bridge's blue and orange color was chosen by voters at a 1985 street fair. [cite web | first = Jack | last = Broom | title = Big for our bridges | publisher = The Seattle Times | date = July 5, 2002 | url = http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/lifestyles/showingoff/07052002.html | accessdate = 2007-05-20]

In 2006, the Fremont Bridge underwent a $41.9 million restoration project to replace the approaches and maintenance shop, as well as renovation of the mechanical and electrical systems that operate the bascule. [cite web | title = Fremont Bridge will close overnight this week | publisher = Seattle Post-Intelligencer | date = May 13, 2007 | url = http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/transportation/315560_tl114.html | accessdate = 2007-05-20] The approaches were completed in May 2007 [cite web | title = All Lanes Of Fremont Bridge Open | publisher = KIRO | date = May 18, 2007 | url = http://www.kirotv.com/traffic/13345795/detail.html | accessdate = 2007-05-20] and testing lasted through the Spring of 2008. [cite web | title = Fremont Bridge Approaches Replacement Project | publisher = Seattle Department of Transportation | url = http://www.cityofseattle.net/transportation/fremontbridgeapproaches.htm | accessdate = 2007-05-20]

Confusingly, the Fremont Troll, a long-standing public sculpture, is not located beneath the Fremont Bridge, but rather the nearby Aurora Bridge.

References

Crossings navbox
structure = Crossings
place = Lake Washington Ship Canal
bridge = Fremont Bridge
bridge signs =
upstream = George Washington Memorial Bridge (Aurora Bridge)
upstream signs =
downstream = Ballard Bridge
downstream signs =