The "New Tacoma Narrows Bridge" - Tacoma, WA
Posted by: 
Hikenutty
N 47° 15.250 W 122° 33.050
10T E 533985 N 5233507
The "new" bridge that they are talking about was a replacement for the famous galloping Gertie, which collapsed in 1940. In July of 2007 a second bridge was opened to better traffic flow across the Narrows.
Waymark Code: WM2AFQ
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 10/02/2007
Views: 77
The following excerpt is from the 1950 revised edition of the guide "Washington: A Guide to the Evergreen State":
The NEW TACOMA NARROWS BRIDGE, (open July, 1950), rebuilt at the site of the first Narrows Bridge which collapsed in November, 1940, is reached by way of Sixth Ave. west to Olympic Blvd., a new roadway built at the approach of the bridge. The bridge is a connecting link with Bremerton, Hood Canal, and the Olympic Peninsula, saving many miles and eliminating ferry stops.
Like its predecessor, the new bridge will be the largest suspension span in the world, an overall length of 5,454 feet from anchorage to anchorage. The 502 foot towers were erected on the 250 foot piers of the old bridge, the only part of the old structure that could be salvaged, but valued at four million dollars since their construction was quite an engineering feat in the swiftly-moving tides of the Narrows. Distance between the towers is 2,800 feet, and the four lane roadway is high enough above the water to allow clearance for the largest oceangoing vessels. The main cables consist of 8,702 individual strands, a total of 19,823 miles of wire.
The federal government refused to assist with funds for the original Narrows Bridge and so the plan for the $11 million version of the bridge was scrapped for a thin-plate girder type bridge that could be built for only $6.4 million. Only two months after the bridge's opening it collapsed in high winds. The lessons learned in this catastrophe taught a lot to American bridge designers. The remains of the bridge, nicknamed "Galloping Gertie" lie on the floor of the Puget Sound and were listed on the National Historic Register.
The replacement bridge spoken of in the guide was built in 1950 and is one of the largest suspension bridges in the world. A second suspension bridge was recently built adjacent to the current one. It opened in July of 2007. The older bridge will carry westbound traffic and the new bridge will carry eastbound traffic primarily, but will also have one lane of westbound traffic during peak times. The new bridge will require a toll. Olympic Blvd., the road that crosses the bridges, at some point had its name changed to SR 16.
The above coordinates are for a good viewing area in Titlow Park. The bridges actual coordinates are N 47° 16.164 W 122° 33.109.