Seattle is full of history everywhere you look, including our movable bridges along the Ship Canal! Built in the early 1900s, the Fremont, University, and Ballard bridges are 3 of the many bridges we own, operate, inspect, and maintain throughout the city. The nearby Montlake Bridge is owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).  

Our work includes giving our bridges cool water baths in the summer and conducting routine and special inspections year-round to ensure the bridges can safely operate to accommodate travelers on land and by water. Keeping our bridges well-maintained supports our core value of mobility and our goal to reliably connect people, places, and goods. 

These three movable bridges are technically “bascule” bridges, though they’re also commonly known as drawbridges. To open for boat traffic, they rotate in an upward direction through movement of a massive counterweight activated by gears and motors near the end of the span, also known as a leaf, similar to a seesaw. There can be single or double leaf openings. Read on to learn how these bridges were built! 

Connecting the Fremont and Queen Anne neighborhoods, the Fremont Bridge was the first double-leaf bascule bridge built in Seattle. The stylization of the bridge came from city engineer Arthur H. Dimock, who had studied various bridge designs for two years to find the best fit for the bustling neighborhoods and busy Ship Canal.  

Requiring over 100 tons of structural steel, construction for the Fremont bridge began in 1915 and was completed in 1917 with space for pedestrians, streetcars, and vehicles. Known for its bright blue and orange color, the Fremont bridge is believed to be the most frequently opened and closed bascule bridge in the United States – and one of the busiest bridges of this type in the world in terms of total span openings per year. (Source: HistoryLink). Fun fact: in 2021 alone, the Fremont Bridge also saw more than 715,000 bicyclists cross the bridge! Check out our Fremont Bike Counter web page for counts since 2012. 

The University Bridge we know today has come a long way since its initial completion in 1891, when it was known as the Latona Bridge. Made from wooden materials, the heavily used bridge required frequent repairs over the years. After much debate in 1915, the city decided to rebuild the bridge to better accommodate travelers over the Lake Washington Ship Canal. 

Introduced in 1917 as the University Bridge, it was not until nearly 13 years later that the bridge was renovated – including concrete, steel, and an open mesh steel deck. This open mesh steel design fortified the bridge and did not require active frequent replacements like its wooden counterpart did. The University Bridge was the first use of open steel mesh grating technology in the United States and is currently on the National Register of Historic Places, as of 1982. (Source: HistoryLink) 

As the longest bascule bridge on the Ship Canal in Seattle at 2,854 feet, the Ballard bridge connects Queen Anne, Magnolia, and Interbay neighborhoods to Ballard. Built in 1917, the bridge faced issues with its original wooden frame, despite its concrete and steel additions.  

Even with the use of more durable material, such as the open steel mesh deck the Ballard Bridge approaches still had to be rebuilt due to its decaying wooden trestles. As the last bridge of the three to be rebuilt, it took one and a half years for completion. The Ballard Bridge has been faithfully operating for more than 100 years! (Source: HistoryLink) 

Thank you for reading and learning a little more about Seattle’s transportation history! You can contribute to the future of Seattle’s transportation by filling out the Seattle Transportation Plan survey on our online engagement hub. 

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The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is on a mission to deliver a transportation system that provides safe and affordable access to places and opportunities for everyone as we work to achieve our vision of Seattle as a thriving, equitable community powered by dependable transportation.