Washington State Route 16 spans the strait (‘The Narrows’) between northwest Tacoma on the mainland and Gig Harbor on the Kitsap Peninsula to the west. The first bridge to span the Tacoma Narrows opened in July 1940 and was dubbed ‘Galloping Gertie,’ because of the movement of the bridge deck during windy conditions. A brisk wind blows frequently through this narrow passageway, electronic signs warn drivers, ‘Severe Side Winds Ahead.’ This first suspension bridge failed on November 7, 1940, collapsing into the waterway below. A second suspension bridge was built and opened in October 1950, where it stood alone in service to the people of Washington State until a third span was built to the south of the 1950 span and opened on July 15, 2007. The 1950 span was reconfigured to carry westbound traffic only, while the 2007 span carries eastbound traffic. Both spans are the fifth longest suspension bridges in the United States and the thirty-first longest in the world. The current toll to cross the bridge (eastbound) is $4.00 and if one purchases the ‘Good to Go,’ pass it drops to $2.75. This view of both bridges (1950 span to the left and 2007 span to the right in the photo) was captured using a several second exposure, tripod, remote and alot of grit to stand in the 33 degree weather with about a thirty mile per hour wind blowing. Cold but worth the chill to capture this beautiful view at dawn.
