Deception Pass Bridge
| Deception Pass Bridge | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Both Canoe Pass and Deception Pass Bridges, looking east
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Carries |
 SR 20
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Crosses | Deception Pass, Canoe Pass | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Oak Harbor, Washington | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Heritage status | NRHP | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Characteristics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Design | Deck arch, cantilever | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Material | Steel | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total length | 1487 ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Width | 28 ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clearance below | 180 ft | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Construction begin | August 1934 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Inaugurated | August 1935 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Daily traffic | 20,000 cars | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Deception Pass Bridge
|
|
Deception Pass Bridge, connecting Whidbey Island to Pass Island.
|
|
| Location |
SR 20 Island and Skagit counties, Washington, USA |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Oak Harbor; Anacortes |
| Coordinates | 48°24′22″N 122°38′41″W / 48.40611°N 122.64472°WCoordinates: 48°24′22″N 122°38′41″W / 48.40611°N 122.64472°W |
| Built | 1934-35 |
| MPS | Historic Bridges/Tunnels in Washington State TR |
| NRHP Reference # | 82004285 |
| Added to NRHP | July 16, 1982 |
Deception Pass Bridge is the common name for two, two-lane bridges on Washington State Route 20 connecting Whidbey Island to Fidalgo Island in the U.S. state of Washington. It was a Washington State Highways project, and included project elements built by young workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps. Completion of the bridge was a factor in the decision to build Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and helped Oak Harbor flourish. The bridge is a commonly photographed landmark of the Puget Sound region.
In the spring of 1792, Joseph Whidbey, master of HMS Discovery and Captain Vancouver's chief navigator proved that it was not really a small bay as charted by the Spaniards (hence the name "Deception"), but a deep and turbulent channel that connects the Strait of Juan de Fuca with the Saratoga Passage, which separates the mainland from what they believed was a peninsula (actually Fidalgo Island and Whidbey Island). Thomas Coupe, a sea captain and founder of Coupeville, was the only man ever to sail a full-rigged ship through the strait discovered by Whidbey.
In the early years of the 20th century, travelers of the horse-and-buggy era used an unscheduled ferry to cross from Fidalgo Island to Whidbey Island. To call the ferry, they banged a saw with a mallet and then sat back to wait.
The bridge, one of the scenic wonders of the Pacific Northwest, is actually two spans, one over Canoe Pass to the north, and another over Deception Pass to the south. Pass Island lies between the two bridges. Construction began in August 1934, and the completed bridge was dedicated at noon on July 31, 1935. The Wallace Bridge and Structural Co. of Seattle, Washington provided 460 tons of steel for the 511-foot Canoe Pass arch and 1130 tons for the 976-foot Deception Pass span. The cost of the New Deal-era construction was $482,000, made possible through the Public Works Administration and county funds.
...
Wikipedia