Re:Take: Beauty, Utility, and Deference

Re:Take is Seattlest contributor and local history buff Rob Ketcherside's new weekly look at the Emerald City Now and in days of yore. Each week, Rob will bring us a pair of photos - one from Seattle's municipal archives, and one of the same spot as it apears today.

"It seems fashionable at this time to criticize bridges, viaducts and other parts of our freeway complex, with good reason... Let me offer praise for the recently completed school overpass. This is a bridge of charm and grace."

Back in 1961, I-5 was under construction and Seattleites realized they were getting another butt-ugly, concrete box like the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Meanwhile, kids were dying. Wayne Detwiler, only 4 years old, was run down while crossing Delridge Way from the playfield back to Colman Elementary on his way home in 1957. There were no stop lights or crossings between Spokane Street and White Center. Wayne's death fast-tracked the Colman PTA's hopes to get a pedestrian bridge.

City Engineer Roy Morse took the designs from the recently completed Montlake overpasses (props to the Arts Commision for making it pretty) and inexplicably paid extra to add ramps. In 1960 there wasn't even an architectural standard, let alone federal regulations to help the disabled. Seattle... once again on the cutting edge of humanism!

Question, though. Why give in to the automobile? Instead, how about a stop light (added later) with crosswalks (never added)? Maybe drop speed limits in school zones, hey?

If you'd like to be fashionable, you can join Feet First tomorrow on a walking critique of the viaduct with City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw. Pier 70 at 5:15.