A while back I posted some photos from the opening weekend of the Link light rail on the east side of Lake Washington. Part of the construction of that extension involved a bridge arose I-405. As a regular user of that freeway, I watched the bridge take shape and then get fitted out as they got closer to opening. Now, to take a ride across it, I got a new perspective on I-405 to that I have had before. Being elevated makes things look so much smaller than when you are at ground level.
One of the projects I am involved with includes some significant civil engineering and construction work. Part of this is to build a long span bridge across a dip alongside an interstate. The work is progressing quickly so things are changing fast. By the time this post goes live, there will be a lot more to see on the site. However, when I took these shots, they were preparing to pour to concrete shafts that will support the bridge piers. The amount of work in preparing the area to stabilize the ground, drill the shafts, have access to the site and have the abutments at each end is huge. Here are some shots of the work underway at that point.
I-90 crosses Lake Washington on a floating bridge. I have driven over it countless times. It crosses from Seattle to Mercer Island which the freeway then crosses before continuing on to the east side. I was on that side of the plane when taking off from SeaTac and got a great view of the bridge. The dead straight floating section and the transition to land looked very interesting from above. The road actually goes through a tunnel on Mercer Island in a long curve which, when I imagined its path, only added to the geometry of the whole.
