Montlake Bridge

Google hours are wrong customers have to wait for the closure periods. One in the morning and one in the evening May to August (7am to 9am and 3:30pm to 6:30pm) and from September to April (7am to 10am and 3:30pm to 7pm). The bridge does not open during these times. You can contact the tower on Channel 13. Worst of all this is unlike all the other bridges on the Lake Washington Ship Canal!

This platform is incredibly stable. I have both walked and driven over this bridge and never once has it failed to transport me to the other side.
6 stars!

the trails under the bridge on either side are a fantastic place to detach and watch the boats pass by. some optional side routes a little more tricky to navigate, e.g. thin dirt paths with a drop to the water in case of a slight slip. otherwise mostly paved with some railings and stairs toward the street side as needed.

make sure to bring appropriate shoes, and during particularly rainier days and seasons expect mud under the bridge to potentially force some detouring up the stairs to get to the other side.

At one of the many bridges in the city of Seattle, I love to see the sun rise to the East every once in a while from the Montlake Bridge. I never get let down when I go there. The view is spectacular, and the brudgr is architecturally wonderful.

Montlake Bridge is very pretty. However, if you are a sailboat that needs to have it raised to go through, there are some things you should know. The website says the bridge does not open from 4pm-6pm; a sign at the bridge says it opens every half hour until 3:30pm. The truth is that it actually doesn't open 3pm-6:30pm. The University Bridge doesn't open 4pm-6pm. So we got through the University Bridge but when we got to the Montlake Bridge at 3:15, we waited, thinking it would open at 3:30. By the time we figured out it wasn't going to, it was too late to get back through the University Bridge. So we were stuck between bridges until 6:30pm.

This bridge gets 5 stars from below and 3 from on top. Overall, a lovely Seattle bridge.

Underneath the bridge is accessible from the Montlake cut, near the totem poll. It’s a great place to spend a moment by the water or to watch boats come through the cut. It also connects to West Montlake Park on the Montlake side. On the University District side, there are several paths bordering UW’s campus, near the stadium with some leading to the boat rentals. Crossing the bridge to get there can be a less fun experience.

Traffic is constantly running on top of that bridge, making it quite loud. The weight of the vehicles also shakes the bridge pretty much all over. It was built nearly 100 years ago (1925), and it shows. The view is so nice that you’d want to spend time up there, but if you fear heights or don’t like the feeling of a vibrating bridge, move quickly. The other negative, as others have mentioned, is cyclist traffic. The bridge walking path is pretty narrow and there are no bike lanes, so you need to be vigilant when crossing and step aside whenever possible.

Of the bridges in Seattle, this is certainly one of them.

I am temporarily giving the Montlake Bridge a poor "one star" rating until this review is read by someone who oversees University or Seattle metropolitan infrastructure. Here's my story: a few weeks ago I visited the Seattle area as a humble tourist from California. Driving over the Montlake Bridge for the first time I espied an impressive vantage of boats sailing through the Montlake Cut canal to the bay(?). Anyhow, so impressive was this view that I parked my rental car and walked back to the bridge, hoping to obtain a picture and memory worthy of the experience. Upon reaching the bridge, a bell started to sound, lights flashed, the barrier went down, and the bridge rose to allow another tranche of boats to pass. So far so good. But here is where the trouble started.

The bridge lowered again, and I, a happy pedestrian began my trek to the center of the bridge where I hoped to take a picture. Immediately however, on the other side of the bridge, a swarm, a bevy, a flock, a mass, a stampede of cyclists descended upon the narrow pedestrian walkway at maximum torque and with frightful speed like a phalanx of cavalry charging into battle. The first cyclist immediately felt it prudent to curse at me "pick a side you @ss @ole!" (I was evidently not far enough to the edge of the walkway for his satisfaction). Then, as if the first curse was not enough, he called over his shoulder, the name of his god in some kind of bitter, supplicative prayer in which I'm sure, he hoped that his deity might smite me. ... Now... to the infrastructure authorities of the University and the city I write this: the Montlake Bridge was built in 1923. It has no bike lane. Bike lanes weren't invented yet. It has two narrow PEDESTRIAN walks on either side. I implore you, as a humble tourist who was blindsided by a cyclist barreling down a sidewalk, put up a sign and maybe a gate that says, "Hey cyclists! Hoy! This is a narrow WALK way. So get off your high (or recumbent) cycles and WALK your dam (I can use that word because it's infrastructure related) your dam bicycles across this bridge built in 1923 when the pace of life was a little slower! Thank you. Now if someone from the University or City infrastructure replies with something hopeful or "thanks for bringing this issue to our attention", I'll raise the rating of the bridge. I am a Level 6 Google Maps Local Guide (out of 10) with a few million views on my reviews, and I may eventually become a voting citizen of Seattle in this part of the city ... so I may have just enough influence that scoffing would be unwise. Thanks again for your attention.

08mar2022 ~08:45 -to- ~09:30 cool ~45_F, i did a walk, ~2.5 mi R/T: UW Station > Montlake Bridge > Lake Washington Ship Canal Waterside Trail > Arboretum Waterfront Trail (Marsh Island, Foster Island) Forster Point.
Not unexpectedly, cos of the recent wet weather, the Trails passing dirt, a few muddy spots, sections of concrete walkways, sections of steel galvanizf serrated/mesh walkways were wet .. these could be slippery, so do be wary and tread carefully. It seems these Trails are well maintained.
Saw a Jogger, some birds, and a lovely pair of Canadian Geese, and the calm and quiet Union Bay. Lovely 👍😊