Washington Toll Bridge Authority
Encyclopedia
The Washington Toll Bridge Authority was created in 1937 by the Washington State Legislature
, with a mandate to finance, construct and operate toll bridges.
The first act of the Authority was to purchase the Manette Bridge
, previously a privately owned toll bridge. The Authority next began construction of the Lake Washington Floating Bridge
and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
. Bonds on the bridges were to be paid off solely by tolls and did not constitute indebtedness for the state of Washington.
The Lake Washington Floating Bridge
opened in July 1940 with a toll, which was lifted in 1943 after bridge costs had been recovered. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which also opened in July 1940, earned the name Galloping Gertie when it collapsed during a heavy windstorm on November 7, 1940.
Washington State Legislature
The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bipartisan, bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senate, with 49 Senators.The State Legislature...
, with a mandate to finance, construct and operate toll bridges.
The first act of the Authority was to purchase the Manette Bridge
Manette Bridge
The Manette Bridge is a steel truss bridge that spans the Port Washington Narrows in Bremerton, Washington, USA. It connects the community of Manette, Washington to downtown Bremerton. Although it is not part of a numbered state highway, it is one of four bridges specifically designated by state...
, previously a privately owned toll bridge. The Authority next began construction of the Lake Washington Floating Bridge
Lake Washington Floating Bridge
The Lake Washington Floating Bridge could refer to one of three floating bridges on Lake Washington:* Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge, opened in 1940 to carry U.S. Route 10 and now carries Interstate 90....
and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
Tacoma Narrows Bridge (1940)
The 1940 Tacoma Narrows Bridge was the first incarnation of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, a suspension bridge in the U.S. state of Washington that spanned the Tacoma Narrows strait of Puget Sound between Tacoma and the Kitsap Peninsula. It opened to traffic on July 1, 1940, and dramatically collapsed...
. Bonds on the bridges were to be paid off solely by tolls and did not constitute indebtedness for the state of Washington.
The Lake Washington Floating Bridge
Lake Washington Floating Bridge
The Lake Washington Floating Bridge could refer to one of three floating bridges on Lake Washington:* Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge, opened in 1940 to carry U.S. Route 10 and now carries Interstate 90....
opened in July 1940 with a toll, which was lifted in 1943 after bridge costs had been recovered. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which also opened in July 1940, earned the name Galloping Gertie when it collapsed during a heavy windstorm on November 7, 1940.