The third Tacoma Narrows Bridge started construction in 2004. Unlike Galloping and Sturdy Gertie,It took three years to construct.
Photos of the the construction were taken starting at the constructions of the towers through the construction of the roadbed.
The opening of the bridge happened in July of 2007.
The bridge was necessary to improve safety when traveling over this part of the highway as accidents and traffic were mounting when use for commuting purposes.
Greedy Gertie may be used, in the future, to provide light rail server (Sound Transit Link) from Tacoma Community College to Gig Harbor.
This bridge was designed to add additional deck to it (if needed).
This bridge provides a bike a pedestrian lane that goes from the city limits of Tacoma into Gig Harbor.
Where the name Greedy Gertie comes from
The name Greedy Gertie is given to the bridge completed in 2007 because of the expensive tools.
(If you watched the Three Bridges video, you know that Galloping Gertie tolls were more expensive when inflation was added).
It is also the catalyst for the Good to Go transponders. The Radio Frequency Identification Tags (RFID) collect tools from an account setup when heading onto the bridge
from Gig Harbor.
These transponders are used for toll collection on the replacement 520 floating bridge (between Seattle and Bellevue) and can be use if you decide to use the HOV lane (and you don't meet the requirements when in use).
When is Greedy Gertie going to be paid off?
According the Washington State Department of Transportation (February, 2022) tolls collected have paid for half of the construction costs of the bridge ($792 million).
As os 2022, it is estimated that it will take 10 more years to pay off the bridge (based on current use).
This was the first bridge in Washington where the construction of the bridge was financed by toll collections only.
No federal funding was used in it's construction.
What about other connections in the future
While the Puget Sound area didn't have urban development decisions made from someone like Edward Moses, there were plans developed in the 1960's to construct a bridge from the Ruston Expressway (near Pt. Defiance) to Vashon Island.
From Vashon Island, an expressway would be built the would connect to another suspension bridge (bigger than the ones crossing The Narrowa) between Southworth and Lofall that would eliminate two ferry boats.
While the population, in the Puget Sound area, is projected to increase by another 5 million people in the next 30 years, development will have to happen to extend the existing urban space into the Kitsap, Mason, and Thurston county areas.
That is already happening.