The third longest suspension span in the world opened on July 1st The third longest suspension span in the world opened on July 1st. Only four months later, the great span's short life ended in disaster. "Galloping Gertie," collapsed in a windstorm on November 7, 1940. The bridge became famous as "the most dramatic failure in bridge engineering history." Now, it's also "one of the world's largest man-made reefs." The sunken remains of Galloping Gertie were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992 to protect her from salvagers.

After 29 months of construction, a new and much safer Tacoma Narrows Bridge opened on Oct. 14, 1950. Located on State Route 16 between Tacoma and Gig Harbor, the bridge is 5,979 feet in length. That's 40 feet longer than its predecessor, Galloping Gertie.

Completion: New bridge opened to traffic July 16, 2007 Completion: New bridge opened to traffic July 16, 2007. Cost: $735 million ($114 million under budget.) Structural Steel, Superstructure (parts of the bridge above water): 35.5 million pounds Structural Steel, Suspension System (cable wire and saddles atop towers): 12 million pounds Suspended Roadway (deck panels, barriers, utilities) 53 million pounds Anchorages (each): 81 million lbs (total weight) 20, 000 cubic yards concrete 1 million pounds reinforcing steel

Good to GO The Tacoma Narrows Bridge began using Good To Go! electronic tolling in July 2007. Over 70% of drivers crossing the Tacoma Narrows Bridge use the Good To Go! Pass to pay the toll automatically and without stopping – reducing their commute time. Good To Go! license plate accounts will be available in 2011. Until then, drivers with the Pass pay the toll without stopping. Those without the Pass must stop and pay at the tollbooth. Sensors in the road read the number of axles. For example Pierce County lowboy tractor/trailer is registered on Good to Go as a 3 axle truck (actually is a tandem axle with pusher axle i.e. 4 axle pulling 3 axle trailer) when crossing the bridge we are charged $8.25 for 6 or more axles. Signal from transponder chip is read to determine if pass is valid. 3. Six cameras per lane snap four images of front and rear license plate which is compared to license plate on file. Your credit card or bank account is charged. Individual accounts must maintain $30 minimum balance. Images are deleted upon confirmation of available funds. Records are kept for 8.5 yrs available only to individual or by court order.

SR 520 Bridge All-electronic tolling is being put in place on the 520 Bridge in Spring of 2011. With no tollbooths, drivers will be able to travel across the bridge just like they do today. As drivers pass through the tolling area at highway speeds, the system automatically reads their Good To Go! Pass or license plate, and deducts the proper amount from their account. Those without the Pass — such as visitors or other infrequent users of the bridge — will be billed for their tolls by mail. 520 bridge will toll in both directions but there will not be a cash, i.e. toll booth option. Toll rates have not yet been determined for the 520 bridge. Neither have rates been set for license plate accounts vs transponder accounts although license plate accounts are expected to be charged about $1 more per trip than transponder. Additionally, accounts will not be allowed to have transponder, and/or license plate. You can only have one or the other for the entire account.

How Good To Go! Tolling works With Good To Go! all tolls are collected electronically. You can set up a prepaid Good To Go! account by either purchasing a transponder to mount in your vehicle or registering your license plate for photo identification. When driving on a tolled facility, your transponder or license plate is scanned and the correct toll is deducted from your prepaid account. Automatic replenishment allows you to easily manage your account by authorizing payments from your bank account or credit card. The Transportation Commission is studying two toll rates: a lower toll rate for vehicles with Good To Go! accounts, and a higher rate for vehicles that receive a bill and pay by mail. The Transportation Commission will set toll rates that vary by the time of day and on weekends to encourage driving during less-congested periods. For example, toll rates during weekday morning and afternoon peak periods will be higher than during off-peak hours and weekends. Tolls will be collected traveling both east and west across the SR 520 Bridge.

Toll rates Tacoma Narrows Bridge July 1st 2008 Vehicle Type No. of Axles Good To Go! Cash Passenger vehicle/motorcycle Two $2.75 $4.00 Passenger vehicle with small trailer Three $4.15 $6.00 Tractor-trailer rig/passenger vehicle with trailer  Four $5.50 $8.00 Tractor with big trailer Five $6.90 $10.00 Tractor with bigger trailer (6 or more axles) Six or more $8.25 $12.00 The Commission that sets toll rates is a seven member body of citizens appointed by the Governor for six-year terms. The Secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation and a representative from the Governor’s Office are ex officio members of the Commission. The Commission is designated the State Tolling Authority and as such, sets all state highway and bridge tolls as well as setting fares for Washington State Ferries.

Range of toll rates being considered for the SR 520 bridge Range of toll rates being considered for the SR 520 bridge. Toll rates will vary according to traffic volumes similar to HOT lanes. License plate (Pre-paid) rate will be somewhere between Good to GO rate and (Post-pay) by mail amount.

How to install your transponder Peel the clear backing away from the transponder. The clear backing is on the opposite side from the printed barcode. Be careful to avoid damage to the transponder. Place the transponder on the inside windshield, with the barcode facing you. This is current design transponder which has been in use since Tacoma Narrows Bridge opened for operation. Works on all current and future WA state tolling projects. This design is the most secure from theft and misuse. Your transponder is now ready to use.

How to apply the transponder shield Peel the clear backing away from the Velcro strips. Position the shield so that it is centered over the transponder on the inside of the windshield. Press the adhesive on the Velcro strips to the windshield.

Slowly remove the shield and make sure one set of Velcro strips remains on the windshield. Center the transponder shield over the transponder. The transponder is inactive when the shield is in place and tolls will not post to the account. Use the shield to carpool in the HOT lanes Do not shield the transponder if you are traveling alone in the SR 167 HOT lanes or if you are traveling the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

Permanent Windshield Sticker Pass Non-transferable sticker. Cannot be moved between vehicles. Adheres to windshield near the rear-view mirror. No damage when exposed to water or cleaning solutions. Pass is about the size of a band aid. $5.00 Switchable Pass with On/Off Option Permanent pass is most cost effective and “safest” way (theft/misuse) to outfit a large fleet. Switchable pass might be good option when for bridge and HOT lanes but velcro mounting makes it less secure. Moveable between vehicles. Hard case mounts on windshield using Velcro backing. Pass can be easily moved between other vehicles also equipped with Velcro holders. Pass can be turned on or off by sliding tab. Well-suited for those who also use the HOT lanes as a carpooler, as it can be turned on or off depending on the number of people in the car. Pass is about the size of a candy bar. $12.00

Moveable Pass that Adheres with Velcro Moveable between vehicles. Adheres to the windshield behind the rearview mirror using Velcro. Must be properly mounted to work correctly. Pass can be easily moved between other vehicles also equipped with Velcro holders. May be removed and stored in a bag when using the HOT lanes as a carpooler. Pass is about the size of a popsicle stick. $8.00 Motorcycle Headlamp Mounted Pass Non-transferable. Cannot be moved between motorcycles. Adheres to motorcycle headlamp with clear sticker backing. Does not affect headlamp light or visibility. Removing the sticker renders the pass useless. Pass is about the size of a thick-cut French fry. $8.00 Moveable pass might be good choice for private use for multiple cars occasionally crossing the bridge. It can also be removed for travel in the HOT lanes. Less “secure” than permanent mount. Motorcycle pass is encoded so it doesn’t need to be covered on HOT lanes. External Mount License Plate Pass Mounts horizontally to the top of the front license plate using screws. Chemical-resistant casing. $12.00

Statements are available on-line at Good to Go in PDF and Excel formats. Available for downloading from website on the first of the month.

Statements are available on-line at Good to Go in PDF and Excel formats. Available for downloading from website on the first of the month.

August 2010 charges for Pierce county were $2,608 for Tacoma Narrows Bridge

What happens when unit goes across the bridge before the transponder gets installed or when tolling equipment fails to read properly.

Transponders should be physically removed during vehicle disposal and then canceled after next billing cycle.

New customer service centers opening soon Good To Go! customer service will process requests for Good To Go! Passes and Pass shields within three (3) business days. These products will be sent by USPS mail. goodtogo@wsdot.wa.gov Contact by email: 1-866-WDOT2GO (1-866-936-8246) Contact by telephone: New customer service centers opening soon in Bellevue and Seattle University District. New customer service centers opening soon in Bellevue and Seattle’s University District.