Seattle Culture

Bridges for Dummies: Baby Raptors, Toll Hikes and Weekend Closures

By Seattle Mag June 1, 2012

babyeagle

A funny thing happened while I was going to my place of grudging acceptance this morning: I found this WSDOT photo of a baby peregrine falcon that lives with two siblings under the Ship Canal Bridge. A WSDOT biologist (yes! They have those!) and a professional falcon bander tagged the 3-week-old babes this week so they can keep track of them.

WSDOT’s Flickr stream is always great entertainment.

Back to work: Only a few more weeks to enjoy the bargain toll rates on the 520 bridge: Rates will go up by 2.5 percent on July 1. That means a $3.50 crossing (only if you have the G2G sticker) will be $3.59. About a latte’s worth per month–if you have the sticker. This planned hike is one of four between now and 2016; a necessity to keep the project on schedule and budget. Then, in July of 2016, rates will go up another 15 percent.

Again, I refer you to the baby falcon. Here is its suspicious mother.

In other 520 news, the bridge will be closed this weekend, beginnnig at 11 p.m. tonight, and through 5 a.m. on Monday, so crews can demolish the last bit of the old Evergreen Point Way and 92nd Avenue overpasses and install girders for the new lidded overpass.

 

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