East Channel Bridge
| East Channel Bridge | |
|---|---|
 East Channel Bridge | |
| Coordinates | 47°34′44″N 122°12′0″W / 47.57889°N 122.20000°WCoordinates: 47°34′44″N 122°12′0″W / 47.57889°N 122.20000°W |
| Carries |
 |
| Crosses | East Channel of Lake Washington |
| Locale | Mercer Island, WA |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Box girder bridge |
| Material | Steel |
| History | |
| Opened | Westbound span: 1981 Eastbound span: 1988 |
The East Channel Bridge is a bridge carrying Interstate 90 from Mercer Island, Washington, to Bellevue, Washington, over the East Channel of Lake Washington, which separates Mercer Island from the rest of the Eastside.
The original bridge was opened November 10, 1923, and was the first bridge to reach the island. George Lightfoot, known as the "father" of the other bridge on Mercer Island, the Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge, had the charge of opening the bridge for boats. In 1940, it was demolished and replaced. Currently, two parallel bridges carry I-90 traffic at this location. A steel box girder bridge, built in 1981, carries westbound I-90 traffic. Another steel box girder bridge, built in 1988, carries eastbound I-90 traffic.
In popular culture
This bridge is featured in World in Conflict in the map, as_bridge. During the course of the single player campaign, the bridge must be held against invading Soviet forces. It is later destroyed to hinder the Soviet advance from Seattle.
See also
- Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge and Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge, which carry I-90 over Lake Washington to Seattle.
References
- "East Channel Bridge, first bridge to Mercer Island, opens on November 10, 1923". HistoryLink.org. July 21, 2002.
- "Aerial of East Channel Bridge from north, Mercer Island, September 11, 1938". University of Washington Libraries: Digital Collections. Retrieved 2008-08-28.