Archives West Finding Aid

Construction of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge began in November, 1938. The bridge opened on July 1, 1940, to public acclaim. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge was lauded as an essential economic and military portal to Washington state's Olympic Peninsula, and its completion was called a triumph of man's ingenuity and perseverance. It had been completed in record time and, with a 2,800-foot central span, was the third largest span in the world. Immediately upon its opening it began swaying in the wind, which earned it the nickname “Galloping Gertie.” Four months after it opened to the public, the bridge fell on November 7, 1940, in what was later called "the Pearl Harbor of engineering."

After 29 months of construction, a new Tacoma Narrows Bridge opened on October 14, 1950, the fifth longest suspension bridge in the United States. Located on State Route 16 between Tacoma and Gig Harbor, the bridge is 5,979 feet in length, 40 feet longer than its predecessor.

The Washington State Department of Transportation calls the first Tacoma Narrows Bridge the "1940 Narrows Bridge." The bridge completed in 1950 is called the "Current Narrows Bridge." The newest bridge, which commenced construction in 2002 and was scheduled for completion in 2007, is called the "2007 Narrows Bridge."