Montlake Bridge
historic place
The Montlake Bridge, a historic place in King County, Seattle, Washington, is a double-leaf bascule bridge that opened on June 27, 1925. It carries State Route 513, Montlake Boulevard, over the Montlake Cut of the Lake Washington Ship Canal, connecting the Montlake neighborhood and the University District. Its control towers feature a Collegiate Gothic style, complementing the nearby University of Washington campus architecture. Seattle voters initially rejected funding for the bridge several times. A temporary barge walkway in 1920 highlighted the need for a permanent crossing. Funding was approved in 1924, and the bridge was completed in less than a year. The Montlake Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It is the easternmost of four original bascule bridges over the Lake Washington Ship Canal. Notably, since 1984, it has been one of only two movable bridges in the Western Hemisphere still used by trolleybuses. This bridge remains a significant engineering and architectural landmark in Seattle.