ever has a suspended bridge caused so much suspense.
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The Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Washington was the third largest suspended bridge ever built after the Golden Gate Bridge and the George Washington Bridge. That is until it plummeted into the Puget Sound.
Construction on the bridge started in September of 1938. Clark Eldridge was the Project Engineer. At a cost of $6.4 million dollars, it took just 19 months to build. Since only light traffic was expected, and in order to save money, one of the principle engineers made the Tacoma Narrows Bridge with just two lanes and a narrow 39 feet wide. The plate girders were eight feet deep, so they didn’t provide much in terms of extra depth. Essentially, the thing was a massive swing.
Construction workers were already well aware of the bridge’s tendency to sway in windy conditions. Even before it opened they had lightheartedly given it the nickname “Galloping Gertie.”
