Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge |
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The Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge (right) and the Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge (left) in 2005, looking east toward Mercer Island
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| Carries |  I-90, eastbound lanes |
| Crosses | Lake Washington |
| Locale | Seattle / Mercer Island, Washington, U.S. |
| Maintained by | Washington State Department of Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Pontoon bridge |
| Total length | 6,620 ft (2,020 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | July 2, 1940 |
| Rebuilt | September 12, 1993 |
The Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge is a special kind of bridge called a floating bridge. It's located in the Seattle area of Washington state in the U.S. This bridge carries the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 across Lake Washington. It connects the city of Seattle to Mercer Island. Another bridge next to it, the Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge, carries the westbound traffic.
The Murrow Bridge is one of the longest floating bridges in the world. It stretches about 6,620 feet (about 1.25 miles) across the water. The longest floating bridge is the Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge, which is also on Lake Washington. The first version of the Murrow Bridge opened in 1940. It was first called the Lake Washington Floating Bridge. Later, in 1967, it was renamed after Lacey V. Murrow. The original bridge closed in 1989 and a new one opened in 1993. This bridge is also an official landmark of the City of Seattle.
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Building a Floating Bridge
A floating bridge is different from other bridges. Instead of tall towers or supports reaching the lakebed, it floats on top of the water. This is possible because it uses hollow, watertight concrete boxes called pontoons. These pontoons are like giant boats that keep the bridge afloat. The Lacey V. Murrow Bridge is held in place by strong cables anchored to the bottom of the lake.
The idea for this bridge came from an engineer named Homer Hadley in 1921. But it took many years of effort to make it happen. A man named George Lightfoot worked hard to get the bridge built, earning him the nickname "father of the bridge."
Construction started on January 1, 1939, and the bridge opened just over a year later, on July 2, 1940. The whole project cost about $9 million. When it first opened, drivers had to pay a toll to cross it, but the tolls were removed in 1949.
The original bridge had a special part in the middle that could open up. This allowed large boats to pass through. However, this design caused some problems for cars. The roadway had a "bulge" where cars had to swerve. This, along with a system that changed which lanes were open, led to many accidents. Because of these issues and increasing traffic, a new parallel bridge, the Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge, was built and opened in 1989.
Who Was Lacey V. Murrow?
The bridge is named after Lacey V. Murrow (1904–1966). He was an important person in Washington state. He served as the director of the Washington State Highway Department. He was also a highly decorated officer in the United States Air Force. During World War II, he was a bomber pilot and became a brigadier general. Lacey V. Murrow was also the older brother of the famous CBS news reporter, Edward R. Murrow.
The 1990 Sinking Event
On November 25, 1990, something unexpected happened: a large part of the original bridge sank! This happened while the bridge was being repaired and updated. Workers were using high-pressure water (called hydrodemolition) to remove parts of the old bridge deck. The water used in this process was dirty and couldn't go into Lake Washington.
Engineers decided to store this dirty water inside the hollow pontoons of the bridge. To do this, they removed the watertight doors from the pontoons. Then, a big storm hit on Thanksgiving weekend, filling some of the pontoons with rain and lake water.
On November 24, workers noticed the bridge was starting to sink. They tried to pump water out of the pontoons. But on November 25, a large section of the bridge, about 2,790 feet long, sank into the lake. It happened because one pontoon filled up and pulled the others down, as they were all connected. Luckily, no one was hurt or killed because the bridge was closed for repairs. The sinking was even shown live on TV! This accident caused about $69 million in damages and delayed the bridge's reopening until September 12, 1993.
Lessons Learned
This was not the first time a floating bridge in Washington state had problems. The Hood Canal Bridge also sank in 1979 under similar conditions. These events taught engineers important lessons about building and maintaining floating bridges. They learned how important it is to be careful when working on these unique structures, especially when dealing with water inside the pontoons.
Images for kids
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The Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge (right) and the Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge (left) in 2005, looking east toward Mercer Island
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Construction of the bridge; photo taken one year after start of construction.
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View northeast of bridge, west approach and Mount Baker Tunnel
See also
In Spanish: Puente conmemorativo de Lacey V. Murrow para niños
