33-613: The West Spokane Street Bridge was a pair of bascule bridges that crossed the west fork of the Duwamish River in Seattle , Washington , United States. The bridges connected the SoDo and West Seattle neighborhoods over the river. The original bridge opened to traffic in 1924; a second bridge carrying eastbound traffic was opened in 1930, with the 1924 bridge reconfigured to carry westbound traffic. Both bridges carried traffic until 1978, when
66-512: A freighter rammed into the 1924 bridge; the 1930 bridge was subsequently reconfigured to handle two-way traffic as a result. The 1930 bridge was replaced in official capacity by the higher-level Jeanette Williams Memorial Bridge ( a.k.a. the West Seattle Bridge) in 1984. The 1930 span of the bridge was closed in 1989 and subsequently demolished to make way for a lower swing bridge connecting West Seattle to Harbor Island (now known as
99-499: A long drawn-out process , three companies eventually bid to design the bridge for $ 1.5 million. However, the city engineer chose a fourth company that was financially connected to the speaker of the state house. The price from this fourth company was triple the cost of the other three. This was a result of a series of bribes involving the head of the House Transportation Committee, the city engineer and others. Despite
132-562: A ballot measure, but were unable to meet the threshold before the northern or westbound drawbridge was permanently closed and all east-west traffic was funneled over the southern span. At 2:38 a.m. on June 11, 1978, the freighter Chavez rammed the West Spokane Street Bridge over the Duwamish West Waterway . No one was hurt in the collision, but it resulted in irreparable damage with the bridge's spans stuck open;
165-505: A life expectancy of 25 to 30 years before being scrapped. The words cargo and freight have become interchangeable in casual usage. Technically, "cargo" refers to the goods carried aboard the ship for hire, while "freight" refers to the act of carrying of such cargo, but the terms have been used interchangeably for centuries. Generally, the modern ocean shipping business is divided into two classes: Larger cargo ships are generally operated by shipping lines : companies that specialize in
198-608: A merchant ship's prefix, denotes that it is a T urbine S teamer. Famous cargo ships include the 2,710 Liberty ships of World War II , partly based on a British design . Liberty ship sections were prefabricated in locations across the United States and then assembled by shipbuilders in an average of six weeks, with the record being just over four days. These ships allowed the Allies in World War II to replace sunken cargo vessels at
231-529: A narrow channel between Indonesia and Singapore / Malaysia , and cargo ships are still commonly targeted. In 2004, the governments of those three nations agreed to provide better protection for the ships passing through the Straits. The waters off Somalia and Nigeria are also prone to piracy, while smaller vessels are also in danger along parts of the South American coasts, Southeast Asian coasts, and near
264-557: A rate greater than the Kriegsmarine 's U-boats could sink them, and contributed significantly to the war effort, the delivery of supplies, and eventual victory over the Axis powers. Liberty ships were followed by the faster Victory ships . Canada built Park ships and Fort ships to meet the demand for the Allies shipping. The United Kingdom built Empire ships and used US Ocean ships . After
297-442: A result of the 1978 collision. However, with many other damaged bridges to replace, this program alone did not have sufficient funding. While federal lawmakers were opposed to appropriating funds to a high-level bridge, Seattle City Council member Jeanette Williams , who served on the council from 1970 to 1989, lobbied Congress for the bridge and successfully secured funds with help from Senator Warren Magnuson . The high span bridge
330-431: A separate category). Cargo ships fall into two further categories that reflect the services they offer to industry: liner and tramp services. Those on a fixed published schedule and fixed tariff rates are cargo liners. Tramp ships do not have fixed schedules. Users charter them to haul loads. Generally, the smaller shipping companies and private individuals operate tramp ships. Cargo liners run on fixed schedules published by
363-411: A set of two bridges running parallel to each other. A pair of twin bridges is often referred to collectively as a twin-span or dual-span bridge. Twin bridges are independent structures and each bridge has its own superstructure , substructure , and foundation . Bridges of this type are often created by building a new bridge parallel to an existing one in order to increase the traffic capacity of
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#1732845384829396-427: A tug knocking it down (which could trigger federal special bridge replacement funds), there is nothing else. And you certainly wouldn't want to go that route." In March 1978, several prominent West Seattle residents filed a petition to organize a secession referendum, with the hopes of finding state funding for a new bridge to serve their independent city. The secession campaign was required to gather 29,000 signatures for
429-465: Is a merchant ship that carries cargo , goods , and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade . Cargo ships are usually specially designed for the task, often being equipped with cranes and other mechanisms to load and unload, and come in all sizes. Today, they are almost always built of welded steel , and with some exceptions generally have
462-433: Is increasing: with bunker fuel consumption at 278 million tonnes per year in 2001, it is projected to be at 500 million tonnes per year in 2020. International standards to dramatically reduce sulphur content in marine fuels and nitrogen oxide emissions have been put in place. Among some of the solutions offered is changing over the fuel intake to clean diesel or marine gas oil, while in restricted waters and cold ironing
495-717: The Caribbean Sea . A category designation appears before the vessel's name. A few examples of prefixes for naval ships are "USS" ( United States Ship ), "HMS" ( Her/His Majesty’s Ship ), "HMCS" ( Her/His Majesty's Canadian Ship ) and "HTMS" (His Thai Majesty's Ship), while a few examples for prefixes for merchant ships are "RMS" ( Royal Mail Ship , usually a passenger liner), "MV" ( Motor Vessel , powered by diesel ), "MT" (Motor Tanker, powered vessel carrying liquids only) "FV" Fishing Vessel and "SS" ( Screw Steamer , driven by propellers or screws, often understood to stand for Steamship ). "TS", sometimes found in first position before
528-503: The European Union is planning stricter controls on emissions. Cargo ships have been reported to have a possible negative impact on the population of whale sharks. Smithsonian Magazine reported in 2022 that whale sharks , the largest species of fish, have been disappearing mysteriously over the past 75 years, with research pointing to cargo ships and large vessels as the likely culprits. A study involving over 75 researchers highlighted
561-545: The Spokane Street Bridge , which opened in 1991). The West Spokane Street Bridge crossed the Duwamish River from Harbor Island to West Seattle . "Spokane Street" has long been used as designation for the streets running along the latitude of the current West Seattle Bridge. Before any permanent bridge was built along the line of Spokane Street, there had been three temporary bridges, built c. 1900 , c. 1910 , and c. 1918 . The first one
594-416: The 1960s. Planning for the bridge was hampered by difficulties in receiving funding. In large part, this is because the bridge was not a designated highway. A 1968 Forward Thrust ballot measure included $ 16.7 million in funding for the bridge, largely to receive votes from West Seattle residents. Other funding sources included a state program for funding urban streets and money from a maintenance fund. After
627-421: The 68 percent support in the 1968 ballot measure, the state withdrew its urban streets money due to the scandal. In 1976 and 1977, the conspirators were placed on trial and imprisoned. After the scandal, the project was considered dead. Norbert Tiemann, a federal highway regulator, stated that there would essentially be no chance of the project receiving federal funds for completion. Tiemann also quipped, "Short of
660-670: The West Seattle Bridge opened, many of the neighborhoods in West Seattle had low property values because of the difficulty in getting downtown . The West Seattle Bridge was closed in March 2020 after cracks in the underside were found to be growing rapidly, necessitating a major repair amid the COVID-19 pandemic . The bridge reopened in September 2022. Twin bridges Twin bridges are
693-474: The bridge to Beacon Hill . Prior to the construction of Interstate 5 , the viaduct was separated from the bridge by the main north-south corridor, U.S. Route 99 . By the 1970s, the West Spokane Street Bridge was one of Seattle's worst bottlenecks, due to the large number of ships in Duwamish Waterway and the frequent bridge openings. City leaders began planning a higher bridge, without a drawbridge, in
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#1732845384829726-437: The bridge was permanently closed as a result. A US Coast Guard inquiry found the ship's pilot, Rolf Neslund, and master, Gojko Gospodnetic, were negligent; Gospodnetic was fired and Neslund forced into retirement. Neslund later disappeared in 1980. Although he was never found, his wife was convicted of his murder. The high span West Seattle Bridge project qualified for funds from the federal Office of Special Bridge Replacement as
759-408: The canal locks a ship can fit in, water depth ( draft ) is a limitation for canals, shallow straits or harbors and height is a limitation in order to pass under bridges. Common categories include: [REDACTED] The TI-class supertanker is an Ultra Large Crude Carrier, with a draft that is deeper than Suezmax, Malaccamax and Neopanamax. This causes Atlantic/Pacific routes to be very long, such as
792-478: The crossing. While most twin-span bridges consist of two identical bridges, this is not always the case. For a bridge owner, twin bridges can improve the maintenance and management of the structures. For motorists, twin bridges can limit the risk that both directions of traffic will be disrupted by an accident. This article about a specific type of bridge is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter
825-405: The handling of cargo in general. Smaller vessels, such as coasters , are often owned by their operators. Cargo ships/freighters can be divided into eight groups, according to the type of cargo they carry. These groups are: Specialized types of cargo vessels include container ships and bulk carriers (technically tankers of all sizes are cargo ships, although they are routinely thought of as
858-697: The locks on the Saint Lawrence Seaway . The earliest records of waterborne activity mention the carriage of items for trade; the evidence of history and archaeology shows the practice to be widespread by the beginning of the 1st millennium BC, and as early as the 14th and 15th centuries BC small Mediterranean cargo ships like those of the 50 foot long (15–16 metre) Uluburun ship were carrying 20 tons of exotic cargo; 11 tons of raw copper, jars, glass, ivory, gold, spices, and treasures from Canaan , Greece , Egypt , and Africa . The desire to operate trade routes over longer distances, and throughout more seasons of
891-586: The long voyages south of Cape of Good Hope or south of Cape Horn to transit between Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Lake freighters built for the Great Lakes in North America differ in design from sea water–going ships because of the difference in wave size and frequency in the lakes. A number of these ships are larger than Seawaymax and cannot leave the lakes and pass to the Atlantic Ocean, since they do not fit
924-504: The ship while it is in port. The process of removing sulphur from the fuel impacts the viscosity and lubricity of the marine gas oil though, which could cause damage in the engine fuel pump . The fuel viscosity can be raised by cooling the fuel down. If the various requirements are enforced, the International Maritime Organization 's marine fuel requirement will mean a 90% reduction in sulphur oxide emissions; whilst
957-468: The shipping companies. Each trip a liner takes is called a voyage. Liners mostly carry general cargo. However, some cargo liners may carry passengers also. A cargo liner that carries 12 or more passengers is called a combination or passenger-run-cargo line. Cargo ships are categorized partly by cargo or shipping capacity ( tonnage ), partly by weight ( deadweight tonnage DWT), and partly by dimensions. Maximum dimensions such as length and width ( beam ) limit
990-775: The war many of the ships were sold to private companies. The Ever Given is a ship that was lodged into the Suez Canal from March 25 to 28, 2021, which caused a halt on maritime trade. The MV Dali , which collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore , Maryland , United States , on 26 March 2024, causing a catastrophic structural failure of the bridge that resulted in at least 6 deaths. Due to its low cost, most large cargo vessels are powered by bunker fuel , also known as heavy fuel oil, which contains higher sulphur levels than diesel. This level of pollution
1023-563: The year, motivated improvements in ship design during the Middle Ages . Before the middle of the 19th century, the incidence of piracy resulted in most cargo ships being armed, sometimes quite heavily, as in the case of the Manila galleons and East Indiamen . They were also sometimes escorted by warships . Piracy is still quite common in some waters, particularly in the Malacca Straits ,
West Spokane Street Bridge - Misplaced Pages Continue
1056-538: Was basically a swinging gate in what had been primarily built as a water main; the second was a swing bridge that also carried a water main, and the third was a swing bridge after the water main had been rerouted elsewhere. A more permanent bascule bridge was constructed in 1924, which lasted for several decades; a second, parallel bridge was constructed south of the first in 1930. In 1945, one of Seattle's oldest freeways (the Spokane Street Viaduct ) connected
1089-407: Was completed in 1984, though demolition of the 1924 bridge continued until January 1986. Meanwhile, the 1930 bridge continued to carry traffic (around 12,000 vehicles per day) until it was closed on May 23, 1989, and subsequently demolished to make way for construction of the similarly-named Spokane Street Bridge , a swing bridge that opened in 1991; Kiewit Corporation handled both projects. Before
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