Good To Go!
Good To Go! is the electronic toll system ( ETC ) in the US state of Washington. The tag can be used on all toll roads in the state and is issued by WSDOT.
System
Good To Go! is a transponder used on Washington state toll roads, primarily in and around Seattle. There are two options, the transponder, or Toll-By-Plate, for which higher rates apply. The bill will then be sent to your home.
There are three types of transponders, a sticker tag, a ‘box’ that is interchangeable, and a tag on the license plate.
History
The system was introduced in July 2007, first on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, followed by the HOT lanes on State Route 167 in 2008. In late 2011, the system was introduced on State Route 520. On September 27, 2015, the express lanes of Interstate 405 opened. As of 2019, it can be used in the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel of State Route 99 at Downtown Seattle.
Hood Canal Bridge
| Hood Canal Bridge | |
| Spans | Hood Canal |
| Lanes | 1×2 |
| Total length | 2,398 meters |
| Main span | 180 meters |
| Bridge deck height | 55 meters |
| Opening | 12-08-1961 |
| Traffic intensity | 15,000 mvt/day |
| Location | Map |
According to Biotionary, the Hood Canal Bridge is a pontoon bridge in the United States, located in the state of Washington. The bridge spans the Hood Canal from the Puget Sound northwest of Seattle.
Characteristics
The Hood Canal Bridge is a special type of pontoon bridge because it is movable. Halfway through the span are two floating islands with a bridge deck that rises, retracting the connecting bridge deck, allowing shipping to pass through. Its main span is 180 meters long. On both sides of the bridge is a short truss bridge for regular shipping. The total length of the bridge is 2,398 meters. The two-lane State Route 104 crosses the bridge. The bridge is toll-free.
History
Planning for a bridge link over the Hood Canal began in the early 1950s. The engineers faced a difficult task. The strait is relatively deep and has to do with significant height differences of 5 meters due to tides. When a pontoon bridge was proposed, not everyone was positive about this, because the waves at sea can be significant, and there was also no experience with pontoons in salt water. At the time, there was another floating bridge in the region, that of Interstate 90 from 1940.
The bridge was built in the early 1960s and opened to traffic on August 12, 1961. Construction cost $26.6 million at the time. The bridge has also been officially called the William A. Bugge Bridge since 1977, after William A. Bugge (1900-1992), an engineer who played an important role in the construction of infrastructure in the northwestern United States.
Sinking in 1979
On the night of February 13, 1979, a severe storm raged in the area, with wind gusts up to 190 km/h. The bridge was then closed to all traffic. At 7 am, the western part of the pontoon bridge and retractable span broke off and sank. During the repair period, which lasted more than 3 years, there was a temporary ferry service, or a 50-mile detour on US 101. The bridge reopened to traffic on October 25, 1982, and was briefly a toll road until 1985.
Renovation 2003-2009
Between 2003 and 2009, a large part of the bridge was replaced, especially the eastern half. This project cost $471 million.
Traffic intensities
In 2012, 15,000 vehicles drove over the bridge every day, which means that it is not overloaded.
Mount Baker Tunnel
| Mount Baker Tunnel | |
| crosses | Seattle |
| Length | 1,040 meters |
| Opening | 1940 |
| Intensity | 145,000 mvt/day |
| Location | Map |
The Mount Baker Tunnel is a tunnel in the United States, located in the city of Seattle. The tunnel is part of Interstate 90 and is just over 1 kilometer long.
Characteristics
The Mount Baker Tunnel is an eight-lane three-lane tunnel off Interstate 90. The actual tunnel is only 440 meters long, but the tunnel has been extended on the west side with a roof. At the west portal the tunnel has 14 lanes, at the east portal 8 lanes. This is because I-90 has an HOV interchange lane that splits in the tunnel. On the east side, the Mount Baker Tunnel connects to Interstate 90 Floating Bridges over Lake Washington.
History
The first tunnel opened to traffic in 1940 and was a two-tube, 2×2 lane tunnel, part of the first pontoon bridge over Lake Washington. This tunnel was 440 meters long and is now located on the south side of the tunnel complex. In the 1960s, traffic signaling was used to allow alternate lanes with oncoming traffic in each of the tubes, with 3 lanes heading toward Seattle in the morning and 3 lanes heading east in the afternoon.
In the early 1990s, a third tube was constructed to connect to the second floating bridge over Lake Washington. The tunnel was also extended on the west side to more than 1 kilometer. This project was completed in 1993.
Traffic intensities
In 2012, 145,000 vehicles drove through the tunnels every day.
Ship Canal Bridge
| Ship Canal Bridge | |
| Spans | Portage Bay |
| Lanes | 3×4 |
| Total length | 1,350 meters |
| Main span | 168 meters |
| Bridge deck height | 55 meters |
| Opening | 12-1962 |
| Traffic intensity | 215,000 mvt/day |
| Location | Map |
The Ship Canal Bridge is a double-deck bridge in the United States, located in the city of Seattle. The bridge spans Portage Bay and is part of Interstate 5.
Characteristics
The Ship Canal Bridge spans Portage Bay, part of the Lake Washington Ship Canal in northern Seattle. The bridge is a steel truss bridge, with an elevated deck. The bridge is 1,350 meters long, with a main span of 168 meters. The bridge deck is 55 meters above the water and 36 meters wide (upper deck). The bridge has two decks, 2×4 lanes on top and a 4-lane interchange lane below. This is the widest interchangeable track in the world. Interstate 5 runs across the bridge from Seattle to Vancouver. On the north side is a switch exit/access to the switch lane.
History
The bridge was built in the early 1960s and opened to traffic in December 1962. When it opened, it was the largest bridge in the northwestern United States, with 12 lanes of traffic. The bridge has not changed significantly since opening.
Traffic intensities
In 2012, 44,000 vehicles drove daily on the interchange lane and 171,000 vehicles on the main lanes, for a combined traffic volume of 215,000 vehicles per day. This makes it the busiest bridge in the Seattle area.
