A few guys I work with and parts of our families had the opportunity to tour the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge construction. We work for the same company that is building the bridge, on another bridge project. Having been to the top of the old bridge 7 years ago I knew what to expect, but this was still off the "cool meter".

This is a pic of the tensioning system that is pulling the tower out of plumb by, IIRC, 30". They have to retension when they take away or add weight to the tower.



You can see the temporary walkway under the old bridge providing access to a temporary stair tower leading to the base of the old bridge. There is a walkway conecting both bridges down on the water (20-30 feet off the water.)



The elevator that rode us to the top. It is rated for 26 people. I don't remember the weight rating.



Looking West out of the elevator.



Looking West from the top. Too bad it wasn't clear today. At least it wasn't raining.



Looking East from the top towards Tacoma.



Looking down from the top.



All the temporary stuff up on top of the tower. It's 400' from the road deck to the top of the tower crane. The tower crane is about 60' above where the people are standing.



This is the tower that holds the cables for the "cable trolley". They send 4 or 8 strands of, IIRC, 5MM wire from one end of the bridge to the other. This is the wire that has been in the news lately as being *corroded*. There are 9,800 miles of wire in each side of the span. Over 19K miles of wire in the bridge.



This is the very apex of the bridge, or at least of the suspension cable. 15-20 feet away the wires are compressed into a round shape. It is wound with an 1/8" wire around the entire run, turning lots of individual wires into a large cable. Same as the old bridge.

Cool you are lucky. Erex and I just went over the Narrows today. It's a cool site, but it's going to suck when they start the toll (robbery).

 That is really, really cool...

I get dizzy looking at those pics!

sweet, what a view!

Thanks for the pics, ever do any high angle shooting like that ?    not off the bridge necessarily but steep lng shots like that ?

On the rare occasion i tried it, it was much more difficult than expected, hold under and hold over was hard for me to get right, i missed several times before I figured out where to hold the sights.

A sniper trying to stop a vbd would have his work cut out for him.

Quoted: Thanks for the pics, ever do any high angle shooting like that ?    not off the bridge necessarily but steep lng shots like that ? On the rare occasion i tried it, it was much more difficult than expected, hold under and hold over was hard for me to get right, i missed several times before I figured out where to hold the sights. A sniper trying to stop a vbd would have his work cut out for him.

No high angle shooting, per se. However I was lucky to get my first elk. He was 250  yards and 45* away. I shot over him several times before getting lucky and hitting him in the spine. Lesson learned.

I used to be afraid of heights. Then when I was 19 I had a job that took me to a lot of steel mills in OH/PA. A lot of the work I had to do was either under ground in cooling pits or up in towers and ducts. Seventy five feet isn't much but when you are up there cleaning crane rails at a mill with no shut down you learn to get over some things.

Now...  I'll stick to terra firma thank you.

Great pics.

Quoted: On the rare occasion i tried it, it was much more difficult than expected, hold under and hold over was hard for me to get right, i missed several times before I figured out where to hold the sights.

http://www.gunsandammomag.com/gun_columns/notes/gn0409/

Article on shooting at uphill/downhill angles.

I am so jealous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I want to go up there too!!!!

I'll give you a dollar if you can get me up there!

No way I'd go up there. I'm usually not afraid of heights.....but those pics gave me the heeby jeebys

I can see my house!  Ok, not really.  Very cool pics.  I'm not normally afraid of heights either but those pics are a little nerve racking.

That's cool as hell, but my day would have been spent In fact, I'm feeling a little sick now....

a buddy of mine is the tower crane operator on the tacoma side of the bridge.......crazy stuff.

Mom and a freind of hers(dad wanted no part of it) won an auction to go ona tour of the bridge then up to the top of the bridge and walk back down on the catwalk...........it sounded it like a good idea at the time(maybe too much wine ;) now she is not sure. No way in hell you would get me up there, I have a hard enough time even driving the damn bridge after getting in a nasty accident on it 6 year ago.........

I'm feeling sick.

Quoted: I'm feeling sick.

It is the paint fumes...

Quoted: a buddy of mine is the tower crane operator on the tacoma side of the bridge.......crazy stuff. Mom and a freind of hers(dad wanted no part of it) won an auction to go ona tour of the bridge then up to the top of the bridge and walk back down on the catwalk...........it sounded it like a good idea at the time(maybe too much wine ;) now she is not sure. No way in hell you would get me up there, I have a hard enough time even driving the damn bridge after getting in a nasty accident on it 6 year ago.........

I have the biggest fear of driving or even riding over bridges.  I have been known, on more than one occasion, to shut my eyes as I drive over a bridge....I just can't handle them and avoid them at ALL costs!!!!

Quoted: Quoted: a buddy of mine is the tower crane operator on the tacoma side of the bridge.......crazy stuff. Mom and a freind of hers(dad wanted no part of it) won an auction to go ona tour of the bridge then up to the top of the bridge and walk back down on the catwalk...........it sounded it like a good idea at the time(maybe too much wine ;) now she is not sure. No way in hell you would get me up there, I have a hard enough time even driving the damn bridge after getting in a nasty accident on it 6 year ago......... I have the biggest fear of driving or even riding over bridges.  I have been known, on more than one occasion, to shut my eyes as I drive over a bridge....I just can't handle them and avoid them at ALL costs!!!!

Shit! I get nervous just walking across a bridge. The Deception Pass bridge scares the crap out of me!

Quoted: Shit! I get nervous just walking across a bridge. The Deception Pass bridge scares the crap out of me!

How did they get you to jump out of the airplane then ?

Quoted: Quoted: Shit! I get nervous just walking across a bridge. The Deception Pass bridge scares the crap out of me! How did they get you to jump out of the airplane then ?

Quoted: Quoted: a buddy of mine is the tower crane operator on the tacoma side of the bridge.......crazy stuff. Mom and a freind of hers(dad wanted no part of it) won an auction to go ona tour of the bridge then up to the top of the bridge and walk back down on the catwalk...........it sounded it like a good idea at the time(maybe too much wine ;) now she is not sure. No way in hell you would get me up there, I have a hard enough time even driving the damn bridge after getting in a nasty accident on it 6 year ago......... I have the biggest fear of driving or even riding over bridges.  I have been known, on more than one occasion, to shut my eyes as I drive over a bridge....I just can't handle them and avoid them at ALL costs!!!!

Thats OK MSK, you aren't the only one. You should see the rush hour commutes!

Quoted: I have the biggest fear of driving or even riding over bridges.  I have been known, on more than one occasion, to shut my eyes as I drive over a bridge....I just can't handle them and avoid them at ALL costs!!!!

That is amazing, could this be taught so the blind could drive too ?

Quoted: Quoted: Shit! I get nervous just walking across a bridge. The Deception Pass bridge scares the crap out of me! How did they get you to jump out of the airplane then ?

Most likely the way I did mine. All night jumps, even the ones at 3 in the afternoon.

I've been all the way to the TACAN antenna of an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate.  That's the highest point of the ship.

I spent the better part of three weeks on a P.O.S. scissors-lift 35 feet in the air at the Target Distribution Center in Albany, OR this past summer.

I highly doubt I'd want anything to do with going to the top of that bridge.

Quoted: I've been all the way to the TACAN antenna of an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate.  That's the highest point of the ship. I spent the better part of three weeks on a P.O.S. scissors-lift 35 feet in the air at the Target Distribution Center in Albany, OR this past summer. I highly doubt I'd want anything to do with going to the top of that bridge.

You guys hand out targets from 35' above the deck?
What if it's windy?
Fookin' AF sure has some strange ways.

I hate heights but driving the bridge never bothered me untill I got hit(I was stoped) from behind by 1 car and 2 trucks doing 35+, then pushed into the oncoming lanes, thru trafic and up agaist the gaurd rail on the otherside.....with a semi truck stoping within feet of me........the WSP was kind enough to tell me i should have been killed.......but I actaully was the only rig that could drive away on its own......gotta love big ole Land Cruisers :)

for 2 years after I would sometimes get up the bridge, get off the exit before......turn around and drive thru Shelton to get to Tacoma....really made life a bitch. I still get sweaty palms just thinking of driving the bridge.

so I hear ya :)

Quoted: I have the biggest fear of driving or even riding over bridges.  I have been known, on more than one occasion, to shut my eyes as I drive over a bridge....I just can't handle them and avoid them at ALL costs!!!!

Quoted: Quoted: I've been all the way to the TACAN antenna of an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate.  That's the highest point of the ship. I spent the better part of three weeks on a P.O.S. scissors-lift 35 feet in the air at the Target Distribution Center in Albany, OR this past summer. I highly doubt I'd want anything to do with going to the top of that bridge. You guys hand out targets from 35' above the deck? What if it's windy? Fookin' AF sure has some strange ways.

Prior Service, Navy

Real Job (not ANG)

Explained.

Oh, if it's windy. . .it blows.

I know they are kinda old, but I thought ya guys N gals might like another angle for bridge pix I took a couple months ago...

HIJACK!

J/K!

That first pic is great! Colvos Passage, Tacoma Narrows, Puget sound, Vashon Island, Murray Island, Pt Defiance, Tacoma and Seattle.

Im taking private pilot lessons from an instructor buddy of mine...  I will try to get more (read: better) pix soon =)

BTW, I'd rather fly over that bridge than ride up the side of it in that little cart... Great view but fawk that!!1111

Quoted: Here's a thread I don't care to click on anymore! Nice pics, but this ol' boy is scared shitless of heights!

Hey, OdT, wanna go flyin this weekend?  Just split the gas...  We can do some 60deg turns and a few stalls...  just put something on your hand and watch it (and your lunch) float up in the air as you fall a few hundred feet in a few seconds ;)