How many pontoons support the current bridge?
The current bridge is supported by 33 bridge pontoons. Each pontoon is about as long as a football field (360 feet) and 16 feet tall. How many anchors hold the pontoons in place? The bridge pontoons are held in place by 62 anchors attached with 2-3/16 cables. (Anchors on the pontoons that connect with the east and west approaches require thicker cables. Those cables are 2-3/4″ inches thick.) How much do the anchors weigh? A standard achor for the SR 520 bridge pontoons weighs 77 tons, which is more than 10 male African elephants. How deep is Lake Washington? Lake Washington is 200 feet deep under the drawspan of the current floating bridge. The deepest point in Lake Washington is 214 feet deep. When did the existing bridge open? We opened the existing bridge to traffic on Aug. 28, 1963. How long did the tolls last when the bridge opened in 1963? We ended tolling on the existing bridge on June 22, 1979, less than 16 years after the bridge opened. How many vehicles use the current bridge
