Bridges to nowhere....

[patgund]

Several years ago I read about the bridge stubs and "ghost ramps" connecting WA-520 near the western start of the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, to what would have been an expressway that was never built.

A couple days ago, I got to see them for myself.......



Construction date on never-used highway bridge. It would have linked a never-built expressway to West-Bound WA-520



As you can see, not even the connection road or ramp to the bridge was built.....



....because if you turn your back, this is all you see.



On the ramp proper. WDOT has "no trespassing" signs all over this ramp and the connecting bridge.



I walked a little way up the bridge. You can see the bolts in the concrete for the guard rails and lamps.



Looking back towards the bridge end. I have NO idea why it got the purple shade it did. Looks kinda cool though. The rest of the colours are true though



Here you see one of two "stubs" that would have linked the expressway with WA-520



And both stubs



Here's the transition bridge from West-Bound WA-520 what would have been the expressway, and is now to Washington Boulevard E. interchange. You see the stub of what would have been a ramp off the bridge



Again, the bridge stubs.



And you see the bridge as it arches over the water and the highway



If you look closely, you can see the bolts intended for the rails.



Again, the purple tinge. This area is now part of the Washington Park Arboretum, and is beautiful. The feeling is that nature stopped the bridge from *quite* touching the ground



Here's a low shot of the connecting bridge



And a higher shot



Originally, this would have continued on as an expressway. Now, it's an Arboretum.



Here you can see the start of the twin bridges. Only the outer portion is used now.



Close up of the bridge stubs.

Comments

[seattlejo.livejournal.com]

The pictures look great. Glad to see you were able to do it with out getting arrested.

[patgund.livejournal.com]

To be fair, I didn't push it. There are a set of concrete barricades on the unused bridge that I didn't go past. I suspect had I gone past that point (and over 520), I really would have been pushing it.

[mistresshuette.livejournal.com]

Too bad when you were living in Monrovia that you didn't hike to the Bridge that Leads to Nowhere in the San Gabriel Mountains. It originally was part of a road being built, starting in 1936, from the San Gabriel Valley to Wrightwood. Unfortunately, a huge rainstorm in 1938 washed out the road that lead up to the bridge. The WPA decided not to fix the road and abandoned whatever didn't wash away. That left a perfectly good bridge crossing the San Gabriel River but with no access roads on either side of it. Nice looking bridge, very well built, which you have to hike to now. Some people now use it to bungee jump off of.

[snufflesdbear.livejournal.com]

There is a journal on Insane Journal for things like this. Mind if I send them the link to your journal? It's not locked or anything, right?

[patgund.livejournal.com]

Go for it!

[beki.livejournal.com]

There is a spot on that merger where it goes to 520 over Lake Washington. I have seen folks use it as a jumping point to go swimming. Folks kayak over there too.