August 16, 2010 - One Long, One Short

A small sailboat motors through the Fremont Bridge at sunset. The double bascule bridge has only a 30' clearance for vessels which necessitates its opening over 700 times a month. Federal law requires that marine traffic has the right-of-way over vehicular traffic. The Coast Guard has granted the City of Seattle an exception during rush hour. The 3 million pound leafs are raised with a 100 horse-power electric motor. Vessel operators request an opening with a whistle signal - one long, one short.

The Fremont Bridge is the lowest of the four similar bridges that cross the Lake Washington Ship Canal and connect Lake Washington to Puget Sound. Two of the bridges, the Fremont and Ballard Bridges, and the canal were opened in the summer of 1917.

The bridge's name and the year 1916 are visible in the stone foundation below the tower. The George Washington Memorial Bridge, with a vessel clearance of well over 150 feet, can be seen through the rising span.

The blue and orange paint scheme was a result of a community vote. The votes were originally for a blue bridge, but community activists favored an orange bridge. What was worked out was a Seattle compromise. The neon in the near tower of the top photo is just art. This is Fremont after all!