The water surrounding Seattle is picturesque, but it can make for tedious driving—especially when cars must wait at bridges for ships to pass underneath.
Have you ever wondered why a long line of cars must wait for a single sailboat or two at bridges on the Lake Washington Ship Canal? John Buswell, roadway structures manager for the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), has the answer on Seattle P-I's "Getting There":
"We are bound by federal law to give vessels the right-of-way; the reason being that marine travel and transport was 'first in time' before the automobile...Whenever possible, the bridge operators will hold one vessel while waiting for other vessels to approach. However, Coast Guard rules only allow us to delay a vessel for up to 10 minutes."
He recommends that motorists turn engines off during a bridge opening to minimize exhaust emissions.
The Ballard, Fremont, University and Spokane Street Swing bridges are operated by SDOT; the Montlake and First Avenue South bridges are operated by Washington State Department of Transportation; and the South Park Bridge is operated by King County.
