Hood Canal ~ An almost Mile and a Half Long Floating Bridge

(written on 7-26-18)

*Author’s Note: The photographs in this blog entry are all my own. (except the one I caption as being from Google) I respect that it may be easy to save them and print them on your own. But they are copyrighted and use of them is prohibited without my knowledge and consent. If you wish to use them, please send me an e-mail and we can discuss their use or purchase.  Thanks for your cooperation.
MoonNStarMommy@gmail.com
~ Nissa Rae

Saved from Google Images

I love the drive out to the Hood Canal & Port Gamble area.   The roads are lined with trees and green and it's just really pretty.

This is the Hood Canal Bridge .....   you might say, well what the heck is so special about a freaking bridge ..... well, bridges are BEAUTIFUL .... besides that though, Hood Canal is a FLOATING bridge....  There are around 20 that I could find, world wide....  and searching "How many floating bridges exist worldwide" isn't very helpful...  But I found out that FOUR of the FIVE longest floating bridges are in Washington State....

The Hood Canal bridge is #3 of those five....

The Hood Canal Bridge (officially William A. Bugge Bridge) is a floating bridge in the northwest United States, located in western Washington. It carries State Route 104 across Hood Canal of Puget Sound and connects the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas. At 7,869 feet (1.490 mi; 2.398 km) in length (floating portion 6,521 feet (1.235 mi; 1.988 km)), it is the longest floating bridge in the world located in a saltwater tidal basin, and the third longest floating bridge overall.  (<--- from Wikipedia) 

The view is purty from the bridge ....

(I type up what the below plaques say that are on location)

Your Hood Canal Watershed :  Formed over the course of millions of years, the Hood Canal Watershed is a jewel of Puget Sound.  Covering 550 square miles, it is rugged mountains and quiet beaches, roaring rivers and lush forests, eagles, elk and salmon.  It's one of the wor'd best places for clams and oysters.

But for all this natural beauty, the watershed is very sensitive to pollution.  Water circulation is slowed by shallow underwater ledges, or "sills."  Hood Canal flushes much more slowly than the rest of the sound - it can take more than a year before it's waters are exchanged.

The Clean Water Connection :  The Hood Canal Watershed is home to a very diverse population.  More than 12 species of clams and oysters, growing along 242 miles of shoreline.  Four species of salmon, spawning in many of the watershed's 200 streams and rivers.  More than 30,000 people, living, working and playing here.

What's the connection?  They all need clean water to live.  We're all neighbors in the watershed.  With clean water, we can all grow and thrive together.  Without clean water, Hood Canal is just another place.  That's the Clean Water Connection.

Solutions to Pollution : The Hood Canal Watershed doesn't always have clean water. Pollution from failing septic systems, poor construction practices, road runoff, poor farming practices and boat wastes threatens the watershed.  Thousands of acres of productive shellfish beds are closed to harvest and salmon runs continue to decline.

What can you do?  Plenty!  Have your septic system inspected and pumped regularly.  Support local stormwater and clean water programs.  Keep animals from streams.  Protect wetlands.  Use non-toxic alternatives to hazardous chemicals.  Apply fertilizers wisely.  Follow good boating practices.  Drive less and recycle oil, paints and solvents.

William A Bugge

Hood Canal Bridge 

The Washington State Highway Commission at the request of the 1977 State Senate renamed the Hood Canal Bridge in honor of William A. Bugge, a leader in the planning and construction of the structure and in the development of the transportation system of this state.  He served as director of
the Washington State Highway Department from 1949-1963.  The 6,471-foot-long bridge opened on August 12, 1961 was the second pontoon floating bridge constructed on state highway system, and the first such structure in the world built on a tidal waterway.

Washington State Highway Commission  -  July 12 1977

For outstanding performance in the construction of the Hood Canal Bridge Replacement Project, the J.A. Jones Construction Company was selected 1983 Contractor of the Year by the American Public Works Association nominated by the Washington State Chapter, AP WA

The above signage is on the Jefferson County side of the bridge, as are the photo directly above this and the two below of the Hood Canal Bridge stretching across the waterways ...

Hood Canal Bridge

(written February 18, 2018) 
*Author’s Note: The photographs in this blog entry are all my own (unless otherwise captioned under). I respect that it may be easy to save them and print them on your own. But they are copyrighted and use of them is prohibited without my knowledge and consent. If you wish to use them, please send me an e-mail and we can discuss their use or purchase.  Thanks for your cooperation.
MoonNStarMommy@gmail.com
~ Nissa Rae

The Hood Canal Bridge is a floating bridge that connects the Kitsap Peninsula to the Olympic Peninsula ...  It is the third longest floating bridge, the longest floating bridge in saltwater.  It was opened up to traffic in 1961. It was the second concrete floating bridge constructed in Washtington.

In 1979, on February 13th, during s wind storm of 85 mph with gusts around 120 mph, and at 7am the western half of the bridge broke loose and sunk.  Luckily the bridge was closed down for the windstorm and the tower crew had been evacuated; no causalities resulted.

Of course the bridge was closed down after the devastating break.  Efforts to fix the bridge started on June 15, 1976.  A ferry from Lofall to South Point was opened back up.  The ferry had stopped between those two points aftee the Hood Canal was opened.  And additional ferry route between Edmonds and Port Townsend was also established.

The bridge reopened as a toll bridge on October 25, 1982. The tolls were lifted in 1985.

The photos I took were taken on the west end of the bridge looking over to the Kitsap Peninsula.

Noah yelling at me.  He was ... literally .... yelling at me.

The bridge also opens up so that ships and boats can pass through.

This a must see cool thing to cross off your bucket list!  Or just say that you've driven across it.