TACOMA, Wash. — Eighty-five years ago, Galloping Gertie collapsed and fell into the Tacoma Narrows.
on Nov. 7, 1940, about 11 a.m., the previous version of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge came tumbling down.
Heavy winds were too much for the four-month-old suspension bridge.
At 2,800 feet, the third-longest suspension span in the world was completed on July 1 of that year.
The remains now serve as an artificial reef in the Narrows below.
No human life was lost in the collapse; however, a cocker spaniel named Tubby died in the disaster.
According to historylink.org, Tubby’s owner said:
“Just as I drove past the towers, the bridge began to sway violently from side to side. Before I realized it, the tilt became so violent that I lost control of the car... I jammed on the brakes and got out, only to be thrown onto my face against the curb. Around me I could hear concrete cracking. I started to get my dog Tubby, but was thrown again before I could reach the car. The car itself began to slide from side to side of the roadway. On hands and knees most of the time, I crawled 500 yards or more to the towers... My breath was coming in gasps; my knees were raw and bleeding, my hands bruised and swollen from gripping the concrete curb... Toward the last, I risked rising to my feet and running a few yards at a time... Safely back at the toll plaza, I saw the bridge in its final collapse and saw my car plunge into the Narrows.”
Here’s video of the collapse:
The second bridge wasn’t built until 1950. World War II delayed construction. The bridge was nicknamed “Sturdy Gertie,” according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). It’s now the westbound bridge, connecting Tacoma and Gig Harbor.
In 1998, voters in several Washington counties approved an advisory measure to create a second Narrows span. The goal was to separate the eastbound and westbound lanes.
Construction began in 2002. Two years later, the project was nearly half complete. The bridge opened in 2007. It’s the fifth-largest suspension bridge in the United States.
WSDOT collects a toll before entering the eastbound span, crossing from Gig Harbor to Tacoma. Tolls on the bridge are expected to pay off the loans and deferred sales tax by 2032.
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