National Register of Historic Places

Aurora Avenue Bridge

Seattle, King County, Washington
Listed
July 15, 1982
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82004230

About this property

The Aurora Bridge (officially called the George Washington Memorial Bridge) is a cantilever and truss bridge in Seattle, Washington, United States. It carries State Route 99 (Aurora Avenue North) over the west end of Seattle's Lake Union and connects Queen Anne and Fremont. The bridge is located just east of the Fremont Cut, which itself is spanned by the Fremont Bridge. The Aurora Bridge is owned and operated by the Washington State Department of Transportation. It is 2,945 ft (898 m) long, 70 ft (21 m) wide, and 167 ft (51 m) above the water. The bridge was opened to traffic on February 22, 1932, the 200th anniversary of the birth of its namesake, George Washington, a Founding Father and first president of the United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The bridge has been the site of numerous fatal incidents over the years. It is a popular location for suicide jumpers and several reports have used the bridge as a case study in fields ranging from suicide prevention to the effects of pre-hospital care on trauma victims. In 1998, a bus driver was shot and killed while driving over the bridge, causing his bus to crash and resulting in the death of one of the passengers. In 2015, five people died and fifty were injured when an amphibious duck tour vehicle crashed into a charter bus on the bridge in an incident that also involved two smaller vehicles.

Location

Seattle, King County, Washington
47.64344, -122.34726

Categories

ENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
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The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Notable People
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Literature
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Nearby Historic Sites

Wagner Houseboat
Industrial
0.1 mi
Fremont Bridge
Industrial
0.3 mi
WAWONA (schooner)
Industrial
0.3 mi
Fremont Building
Industrial
0.5 mi
Seattle Public Library
Industrial
0.5 mi

Nearby Battles

Puget Sound War — Battle of Seattle (January 26, 1856)
1856Indian Wars
2.7 mi
Yakama War — Battle of Seattle
1856Indian Wars
2.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Aurora Avenue Bridge listed on the National Register?

Aurora Avenue Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 15, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Aurora Avenue Bridge?

Aurora Avenue Bridge is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Aurora Avenue Bridge?

The period of significance for Aurora Avenue Bridge is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Aurora Avenue Bridge?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Aurora Avenue Bridge will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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