Live from Seattle DOT, checked every two minutes, with how long it has been up. Opens on signal for boats.
Free: see which bridge is up at a glance. Premium, $9.99 a year or $0.99 a month, unlocks every bridge's own page: live status, the rule, alerts and more. No ads in the app.
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The federal rule, word for word:
The draw of the Montlake Bridge, mile 5.2, shall open on signal, except that: (1) The draw need not open for a period of up to 10 minutes after receiving an opening request, if needed to pass accumulated vehicular traffic. However, the draw shall open without delay, when requested by vessels engaged in towing operations. (2) For any vessel or watercraft of less than 1,000 gross tons, unless the vessel has in tow a vessel of 1,000 gross tons or over, from Monday through Friday, except Federal Holidays: (i) The draw need not open from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. from April 30 to September 1 and from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. from September 1 to April 30. (ii) The draw need open only on the hour and half hour from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
33 CFR 117.1051(e)
Free, at a glance: which of the five monitored bridges is up right now, and for how long. Premium, $9.99 a year or $0.99 a month, unlocks every bridge's own page: its opening rule, its live status detail, a push when a bridge you chose goes up, the lift history MileCheck keeps for it, and four more colour schemes. No account needed. No ads in the app. Your location stays on your phone.
This page shows Seattle DOT's live state for the Montlake Bridge, refreshed every two minutes, with how long it has been up. If the city's feed has gone quiet the page says "no live reading" rather than guessing.
Opens on signal for boats. The tender may hold an opening up to 10 minutes to pass backed-up road traffic, but must open without delay for a vessel engaged in towing. For a vessel under 1,000 gross tons that is not towing one of 1,000 gross tons or more, on weekdays except federal holidays, it need not open from 7 to 9 a.m. and 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. between April 30 and September 1, or from 7 to 10 a.m. and 3:30 to 7 p.m. between September 1 and April 30. For those same vessels on those same weekdays, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. and 6 to 6:30 p.m. it need open only on the hour and the half hour.
Most openings are over inside 15 minutes. A single sailboat is a few minutes; a tug with a tow, or several boats in a row, takes longer. The Seattle Drawbridges app times each lift.
Yes. The Seattle Drawbridges app sends a push the minute the Montlake Bridge goes up.
15th Ave NW over the Ship Canal. Live status.
Fremont Ave N over the Ship Canal. Live status.
Eastlake Ave E over the Ship Canal. No live feed.
SR 99 / 1st Ave S over the Duwamish. Live status.
14th Ave S over the Duwamish. Live status.
SW Spokane St over the Duwamish. No live feed.