National Register of Historic Places

Ballard Bridge

Seattle, King County, Washington
Listed
July 15, 1982
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82004231

About this property

The Ballard Bridge, also known as the 15th Avenue Bridge, is a double-leaf bascule bridge in Seattle, Washington. It carries 15th Avenue NW over Seattle's Salmon Bay between Ballard to the north and Interbay to the south. The Ballard Bridge follows the Fremont Bridge in the east in the succession of bridges spanning the Lake Washington Ship Canal, which connects Lake Washington in the east to Puget Sound in the west. Built in 1917, it has an opening span of 218 ft (66 m) and a total length of 2,854 ft (870 m). The approaches of the bridge were originally timber trestles. It also carried a streetcar. In 1939, the timber approach spans of the Ballard Bridge were replaced as a Public Works Administration project. The deck was surfaced with concrete and the rails for the streetcar were removed. In 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In recent years bicyclists have complained that improvements are needed to address safety concerns. In 2024, work began on seismic improvements to the bridge structure, including installing ground anchors and other safety features. The project shut down the bridge to vehicular traffic over several weekends in September and October.

Location

Seattle, King County, Washington
47.66286, -122.37619

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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Native Heritage
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Nearby Historic Sites

Ballard Avenue Historic District
Listed
0.4 mi
Fire Station No. 18
Industrial
0.5 mi
Ballard Carnegie Library
Industrial
0.5 mi
Chittenden Locks and Lake Washington Ship Canal
Listed
0.7 mi
W. T. PRESTON (snagboat)
Industrial
1 mi

Nearby Battles

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

Questions about this property

When was Ballard Bridge listed on the National Register?

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

What type of historic resource is Ballard Bridge?

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

What is the period of significance for Ballard Bridge?

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

Can I research the history near Ballard Bridge?

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