Comments on: Past Post: When The 520 Bridge Was New http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/ Fri, 25 Jul 2008 09:06:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Holly http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3113 Holly Tue, 13 Nov 2007 21:55:10 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3113 I can tell you a bit about the RH Thomsen Expressway that was never built from the Montlake perspective. I live in Montlake and have become quite fascinated with my neighborhood's history. Let's just say my neighbors have very long memories. The story is that after SR 520 was put in, there was going to be a freeway that would have been where MLK Way is now, cut through the Arboretum, into Laurelhurst, and then back around to Lake Union. Many people in the freeway's proposed path threw quite a stink, particularly those in Montlake. You see, SR 520 caused a lot of property damage in my neighborhood, and people were understandably frightened about having another freeway in their backyard (literally). Some houses along 26th Avenue E were bought up and left abandoned to a) make way for the freeway; and b) drive down property values on that side of the neighborhood. After the project was cancelled, that area became a nice little playground (for those local -- it's the greenbelt that goes north from 26th and Lynn). This was really the incident that galvanized my neighbors into a rather powerful political force. It's taken a different shape today in that the current generation is a bit more proactive (two of my neighbors are behind the Pacific Interchange option for the new 520 bridge -- if it ever gets built). I can tell you a bit about the RH Thomsen Expressway that was never built from the Montlake perspective. I live in Montlake and have become quite fascinated with my neighborhood’s history. Let’s just say my neighbors have very long memories.

The story is that after SR 520 was put in, there was going to be a freeway that would have been where MLK Way is now, cut through the Arboretum, into Laurelhurst, and then back around to Lake Union. Many people in the freeway’s proposed path threw quite a stink, particularly those in Montlake. You see, SR 520 caused a lot of property damage in my neighborhood, and people were understandably frightened about having another freeway in their backyard (literally).

Some houses along 26th Avenue E were bought up and left abandoned to a) make way for the freeway; and b) drive down property values on that side of the neighborhood. After the project was cancelled, that area became a nice little playground (for those local — it’s the greenbelt that goes north from 26th and Lynn).

This was really the incident that galvanized my neighbors into a rather powerful political force. It’s taken a different shape today in that the current generation is a bit more proactive (two of my neighbors are behind the Pacific Interchange option for the new 520 bridge — if it ever gets built).

]]> By: Didi http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3072 Didi Mon, 12 Nov 2007 02:43:49 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3072 LOL! Good one, Ben. I hadn't thought of that. LOL! Good one, Ben. I hadn’t thought of that.

]]> By: Ben Lukoff http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3066 Ben Lukoff Sun, 11 Nov 2007 22:10:08 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3066 Well, in their defence, the bridge was built before the expressway was started and canceled, so the two are unrelated :) As for not taking the ramps down, I suppose they felt they couldn't justify the expense. And maybe, just maybe, they thought there might be a use for them someday (other than providing people a place from which to go diving?) Well, in their defence, the bridge was built before the expressway was started and canceled, so the two are unrelated :)

As for not taking the ramps down, I suppose they felt they couldn’t justify the expense. And maybe, just maybe, they thought there might be a use for them someday (other than providing people a place from which to go diving?)

]]> By: Didi http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3050 Didi Sat, 10 Nov 2007 18:28:14 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3050 I second Holly's comments. Those are beautiful photos. But, I have to ask not being a Seattle native, who in their right mind would cancel an expressway and leave the ramps basically hanging on and then they are crazy enough to have a bridge with no shoulder? Sounds like a traffic nightmare especially if your car stops in the middle of the bridge and there is no where to go. I second Holly’s comments. Those are beautiful photos. But, I have to ask not being a Seattle native, who in their right mind would cancel an expressway and leave the ramps basically hanging on and then they are crazy enough to have a bridge with no shoulder? Sounds like a traffic nightmare especially if your car stops in the middle of the bridge and there is no where to go.

]]> By: Ben Lukoff http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3033 Ben Lukoff Sat, 10 Nov 2007 06:45:37 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3033 R.H. Thomson was an interesting fellow -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_H._Thomson -- responsible for leveling Denny Hill and regrading Jackson Hill as well, he also started bringing in drinking water from the Cedar River... R.H. Thomson was an interesting fellow — http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_H._Thomson — responsible for leveling Denny Hill and regrading Jackson Hill as well, he also started bringing in drinking water from the Cedar River…

]]> By: Cliffe http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3027 Cliffe Sat, 10 Nov 2007 00:24:39 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3027 This HistoryLink article has some information on the ramps to nowhere: http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=690 <em>"On the west side, the ramps were built in the Arboretum to connect SR 520 with a planned R. H. Thomson Expressway generally following Empire Way (now Martin Luther King Jr. Way) through the Central Area. After citizen protests, Seattle canceled the expressway in 1971, but the "ramps to nowhwere" still stand."</em> This HistoryLink article has some information on the ramps to nowhere:

http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=690

“On the west side, the ramps were built in the Arboretum to connect SR 520 with a planned R. H. Thomson Expressway generally following Empire Way (now Martin Luther King Jr. Way) through the Central Area. After citizen protests, Seattle canceled the expressway in 1971, but the “ramps to nowhwere” still stand.”

]]> By: Bryan http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3024 Bryan Fri, 09 Nov 2007 23:59:13 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3024 Speaking of the ramps to nowhere, the actually appear to go somewhere in the first post card picture (the closest ramp in the picture). If I am not mistaken from my 520 commuting days, isn't the closest ramp in the picture now partially missing and incomplete? [Would connect Aborteum directly to Montlake Blvd]Anybody know the history of what happened to the ramp? Was it removed for some reason? Speaking of the ramps to nowhere, the actually appear to go somewhere in the first post card picture (the closest ramp in the picture). If I am not mistaken from my 520 commuting days, isn’t the closest ramp in the picture now partially missing and incomplete? [Would connect Aborteum directly to Montlake Blvd]Anybody know the history of what happened to the ramp? Was it removed for some reason?

]]> By: Ben Lukoff http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3022 Ben Lukoff Fri, 09 Nov 2007 23:13:40 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3022 The 520 bridge <i>is</i> a horror story. I used to work at Microsoft from 1997 to 1999 and then again from 2001 to 2002, and man, was that commute a waste of time. Who ever thought two lanes in each direction with no shoulders was a good idea? And then there are the ramps to nowhere..... The 520 bridge is a horror story. I used to work at Microsoft from 1997 to 1999 and then again from 2001 to 2002, and man, was that commute a waste of time. Who ever thought two lanes in each direction with no shoulders was a good idea? And then there are the ramps to nowhere…..

]]> By: Holly http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3021 Holly Fri, 09 Nov 2007 21:25:49 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3021 Very nice postcard -- much better than the archive photos I've seen from that time. Very nice postcard — much better than the archive photos I’ve seen from that time.

]]> By: Bill http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3019 Bill Fri, 09 Nov 2007 21:08:35 +0000 http://www.vintageseattle.org/2007/11/09/past-post-when-the-520-bridge-was-new/#comment-3019 Too bad they didn't keep it a toll bridge--imagine how much money they would have saved up by now, even with a relatively low toll! I barely remember crossing the bridge when there was still a toll. I was five and living on the eastside in 1979 so my memory is pretty hazy, but it was so novel in this area to have a toll road that it stuck in my mind. This site is great, by the way. Keep up the good work! Too bad they didn’t keep it a toll bridge–imagine how much money they would have saved up by now, even with a relatively low toll!

I barely remember crossing the bridge when there was still a toll. I was five and living on the eastside in 1979 so my memory is pretty hazy, but it was so novel in this area to have a toll road that it stuck in my mind.

This site is great, by the way. Keep up the good work!

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