Shuttle Line

WSDOT was running shuttles from the UW out onto the bridge. The line was pretty long when we got there, but within 15 minutes, it had doubled.

Live Long...

Henry on the Shuttle

Kathy on the Shuttle

Shuttle

Shuttle Stop

The shuttle took us out to the point where the new bridge meets the old one (both bridges were closed to traffic). Time to wait in another line.

The Slowdown

The first indication that WSDOT hadn't really thought things through. All the people coming off the shuttles had to funnel through this ramp to get over the Jersey barrier. It was a low barrier that most adults could step right over, but they were stopping people from doing so.

Not Quite Done

This was the grand opening for the bridge, but the project isn't quite done yet. The west approach is still under construction, so the new bridge currently connects to the old approach.

The Longest Floating Bridge in the World

The new floating bridge is the longest one in the world. The old record holder was the old one (on the right).

West High Rise

Food Trucks!

R.O.V.

The floating part of the bridge is anchored to the bottom of the lake with a series of cables. Placing those cables involved a lot of diving and work with this kind of ROV.

Hyperbaric Chamber

Hyperbaric Chamber

Introducing Brad Smith

Emcee Monique Ming Laven introducing Microsoft President Brad Smith.

Brad Smith

Henry, Watching

It's Official!

Michael Empric from the Guinness Book of Records presenting the official certification that this is the longest floating bridge in the world.

Ribbon Cutting

See the ribbon being cut? It's there. I'm sure that guy got a good picture of it... ask to see his.

Broom Hilda

WSDOT held a competition to name this new street sweeper build specifically for the new bridge. Alas, Sweepy McSweepface didn't win.

Brushes

Half a Celebration

For some inexplicable reason, all the grand opening stuff was restricted to the westbound lanes of the new bridge. By early afternoon, it had gotten so crowded that they stopped running the shuttle busses, leaving lots of disappointed people still waiting in lines back at the UW.

Crowds

New & Old

The old bridge has two travel lanes in each direction and no usable shoulders. The new one has three lanes each way plus a shoulder (and a 14-foot wide bicycle & pedestrian path). It's wider here at the east approach.