Who designed and built the bridges?

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Clark Eldridge, a bridge engineer with the Washington Department of Highways, was the principal designer of the first Narrows Bridge.Various consultants were called in to review the plan. One of them, Leon Moisseiff, suggested the superstructure could be reduced in size. His recommendation was incorporated into the final bridge design.

The Pacific Bridge Company became the contractor after submitting a low bid of $5,594,730.40. The Bethlehem Steel Company was an associate contractor, supplying and erecting the steel and wire.

The design for the second bridge was the work of the Washington Toll Bridge Authority's Charles E. Andrew, chairman and principal engineer, and Dexter Smith, designing engineer. Andrew was the author of two reports on the failure of the first Narrows Bridge.

The primary contractors for construction of the second bridge were the Bethlehem Pacific Coast Steel Corporation and John A. Roeblings and Sons Company. One of the men who helped build both bridges, Joe Gotchy, eventually wrote a book about his experiences. The book, Bridging the Narrows, published by the Gig Harbor Peninsula Historical Society in 1990, is an important source of information about the construction of the two bridges and the people who worked on them.

Clark Eldridge, Ralph Keenan (Pacific Bridge Co.), Leon Moisseiff, W.G. Sweigert (Pacific Bridge Co.), and Fred Sweigert (Pacific Bridge Co.) Photo credit: Bashford/Thompson

Joe Gotchy (right), Jan. 2, 1939
Photo credit: Bashford/Thompson