While they gathered, the City Engineer, the head of the Highway Committee of the House and a National Democratic Comitteeman were taking bribes and handing the design of the proposed bridge to a Maryland engineering company, who had excellent legal help, the Speaker of the Washington State House of Representatives.
Complicating everything was the fact that, for funding purposes, the West Seattle Project was a city street, at the bottom of the financial food chain for roads and bridges. It did not qualify for federal funds and its qualification for state funds was marginal. Unlike our state funding for the today's bored tunnel, the city was on the hook for everything.
The Forward Thrust Committee knew in 1968 exactly what it had to do to get votes in West Seattle -- add a little seed money for a new, high level bridge, something that would vault vehicles over the increasingly frequent and increasingly longer openings of the bridge that provides for marine commerce up river.
Forward Thrust, Seattle's great infrastructure package that cleaned up Lake Washington and provided several transportation options, included $16.7 million for the bridge and the city added another $17.5 million in Urban Arterial Funds, state gas tax monies shared under a formula for the busiest city streets. Another $2.7 came from an account most frequently used for repair and maintenance.
The opponents had been successful getting their initiative on the ballot and the bridge would be there with a big black eye and a complicated, multi-phase approach that only seasoned planners could understand. But the proponents of the bridge developed a coalition of good government, economic development, port and affected neighborhoods -- very much like the coalition for the tunnel today, and passed the measure with 68% yes votes.
Seattle Times |
While a big victory, it really had no meaning. The complications of the project, the scandal, gave it a big stink that no one wanted to be around. In '75, the state withdrew its urban arterial funds that had been waiting beyond the patience of state legislators and a Municipal League study articulated the dreadful details of the smell.
Shut out by the state and not enough money at home, and despite its support at the polls, the bridge was barely breathing. Norbert Tiemann, the federal highway administrator, seemed to put the final nail in the high level coffin. "I would doubt they would have any success, at least with the Federal Highway Administration," he told the Seattle Times.
Federal indictments would follow in 1976 and convictions in 1977. The chair of the Washington State House Highway Committee, Bob Perry, would become a fugitive in Mexico and Costa Rica.
But part of Mr. Tiemann's interview that day, nearly overlooked, offered an interesting alternative.
"Short of a tug knocking it down, (which could trigger federal special bridge replacement funds)" Tiemann said, "there is nothing else. And you certainly wouldn't want to go that route."
HistoryLink |
At 2:38 on June 11, 1978, the Chavez, piloted by 80 year old Rolf Neslund, struck the bridge. The north span was stuck open and Wes Uhlman got a very excited telephone call from the bridge tender. "Call the godamned Mayor, said former Mayor Uhlman."
Finally finding a home number for the brand new Mayor Royer, the bridge tender went through his by now well-rehearsed report.
"Seize the vessel" is all the Mayor could think to say.
The Office of Special Bridge Replacement was three or four rooms in Washington, DC with a guy whose desk was full of Polaroids.
"Look at these," he says, taking out a stack from Virginia where a destroyer collided with a bridge on the way out of port.
"Or these," he says, showing off the catastrophe in New Orleans, both of which happened in the same month as our collision in Seattle.
He takes the set I give him and tosses them on his desk.
"Gee, that's a hell of a mess."
Special Bridge Replacement has exactly $100,000,000 in it and it wouldn't fix five percent of his desk drawer gallery. There are moments when you realize just how big this country is. This was mine.
Norm Dicks and Senator Magnuson |
Magnuson was famous for his little amendments and one was quickly put together, for sixty million dollars. Ultimately, the federal pot would grow to $110 million. Problem was that the transportation budget had long ago left the Senate and was now being heard on the House side. To insert an amendment required help from the Committee on Public Works and Transportation Chair, James J. Howard, Democrat from New Jersey.
He heard out the briefing, presented by a delegation that included a few locals along with Magnuson's personal and committee staff. It soon became apparent something had gone terribly wrong between the Congressman and Secretary Adams.
"Will this, in any way, help Brock Adams?" he asked, as casually as if offering fizzy water or flat.
At that moment, most people in the room and across Washington State thought that Adams was going to run for Maggie's Senate seat after Magnuson's graceful retirement. Norm Dicks, the Senator's legislative assistant, apparently was the only one breathing:
"No," he said. And nothing more.
The money came with plenty of advice from political people who had come to equate the high level bridge with failure and unacceptable cost. "Don't go chasing after that high level bridge," Adams said after one meeting, and all the heads nodded.
The result was an environmental impact statement featuring several different mid-level alignments that would be wider and high enough so the bridge would open less frequently.
When these options went to the City Council, Councilmember Jeanette Williams went to work. She had no use for the wisdom of the elders in DC. She wanted the big bridge. Over time, and with a fair amount of risk, she began fashioning deals that brought in the additional money it would take -- ten million from the Port of Seattle, ten from King County, matched by another ten from the City of Seattle.
City of Seattle |
A few things stand out about that time. Clearly, events moved faster. Just ten months after the bridge tender's early morning calls, the City Council approved a high level alignment that was funded by a seat-of-the-pants coalition of federal, state and local governments -- about $190 million in all. All the additional properties were in city hands by mid-1980 and construction began in mid-1981, well-after the felons who broke the public trust had served their time and left prison.
The new bridge focused development in West Seattle in good ways and bad. Traffic volumes have increased substantially to accommodate the multi-family development that followed the better transportation solution. Additionally, new growth occured in Delridge and other previously overlooked communities whose housing prices proved attractive. However, all this density supports amenities that now make West Seattle as cool a neighborhood as the city has.
City of Seattle |
No West Seattle Bridge story exists without the grisly postscript of Rolf Neslund's demise. Neslund was probably too old to be piloting large ships but worse, he was a drunk. So was his wife, Ruth.
HistoryLink |
HistoryLink's fabulous account of Ruth Neslund's Trial
The Obituary of Robert Perry
I feel really happy to have seen your webpage and look forward to so many more entertaining times reading here. Thanks once more for all the details.
ReplyDeleterpa Training in Bangalore
Thank you much for this tutorial; this is an informative and valuable blog. Visit for
ReplyDeleteSEO Service in Delhi
Web Development Company
refrigerator repair in gurgaon
ReplyDeleteLyrics with music
ReplyDeleteEnglish Song lyrics
punjabi Song lyrics
best hiv doctor in delhi
ReplyDeletePEP Treatment in delhi
ReplyDeleteMake your luck smile, go to the website of the online casino BGAOC and win without a hitch. good casino machine games Take the winnings constantly and without restrictions.
ReplyDeleteشركة عزل اسطح بالدمام
ReplyDeleteLyricsfed.com is a huge collection of song lyrics, album information and featured video clips for a seemingly endless array of artists.
ReplyDeleteled для любых целей можете найти у нас на сайте Ekodio
ReplyDeleteMy first online casino solely best gambling sites in which I played. Just want to highlight a very beautiful design and convenience and beauty in all games. The presence of public tables testifies first of all to casino honesty - nobody twists the roulette wheel specially - at least =).
ReplyDeleteYour blog’s post is just completely quality and informative. Many new facts and information which I have not heard about before. Keep sharing more blog posts.
ReplyDeletesamsung mobile service center in chennai
شركة تنظيف مكيفات بالرياض
ReplyDeleteشركة تنظيف مكيفات شمال الرياض
شركة تنظيف مكيفات
شركة تنظيف مكيفات غرب الرياض
شركة تنظيف مكيفات بالخرج
شركة تنظيف مكيفات بالدمام
شركة تنظيف مكيفات بالخبر
فنى صيانة مكيفات سبليت بالرياض
best web design company in delhi
ReplyDeletebest web designing company in delhi
best web development company in delhi
best website design company in delhi
best website designing company delhi
best website designing company in delhi
best website designing company in delhi ncr
best website development company in delhi
designing company in delhi
ecommerce website development company in delhi
ecommerce website development delhi
responsive website designing company in delhi
top web designing company in delhi
web design company delhi
web design company in gurgaon
web design delhi
web design in delhi
web design services in delhi
web designer delhi
web designer in delhi
web designing company delhi
web designing delhi
web designing services
website company in delhi
website design and development company in delhi
website design company delhi
website design company delhi ncr
website design company in delhi
website design delhi
website design services in delhi
website designers in delhi
website designing agency in delhi
website designing companies in delhi
website designing company delhi
website designing company in delhi
website designing company in delhi ncr
website designing company in gurgaon
website designing delhi
website designing in delhi ncr
website designing services
website designing services delhi
website designing services in delhi
website designing services india
website services in delhi
Hi, your article was of great help. I loved the way you shared the information, thanks.
ReplyDeleteAmazing article, I highly appreciate your efforts, it was highly helpful. Thank you CEH Training ,CEH Certification, CEH Online Course, Ethicalhacking
Hi, This is a great article. Loved your efforts on it buddy. Thanks for sharing this with us.
ReplyDeleteGet cissp
it training courses.
CISSP training , cissp exam cost, CISSP certification. .Get VMware, vmware training, vmware course., vmware online training., vmware interview questions and answers.,vmware Certification , AWS, aws training, aws course, aws certification training, aws online training
Get PMP pmp certification, pmp training, pmp certification in gurgaon, pmp certification cost, pmp training certification
Hi this is the nice blog, thanks for sharing us
ReplyDeleteGet Azure, azure training,azure certification,microsoft azure training,azure course,azure online training
Hi, This is your awesome article , I appreciate your effort, thanks for sharing us.
ReplyDeletecism training
cism certification
cisa training,
cisa certification
cisa exam