Gov. Jay Inslee cuts the ribbon to open the new 520 floating bridge Saturday morning in Seattle.

Gov. Jay Inslee cuts the ribbon to open the new 520 floating bridge Saturday morning in Seattle.

Thousands turn out as Gov. Inslee cuts ribbon on 520 bridge

SEATTLE — Thousands of people turned out for festivities celebrating the opening of the new State Route 520 floating bridge across Lake Washington.

Gov. Jay Inslee cut an orange ribbon Saturday at the middle of the 1.5-mile-long structure to commemorate the completion of work, more than 12,000 people participated in a 10K fun run, and a representative of Guinness World Records presented a certificate designating it the world’s longest floating bridge.

The masses strolled along the car-free pavement and enjoyed views of the lake and the mountains on a beautiful spring day. But it was so crowded that some complained about having to wait hours for shuttles to make their way off the bridge, and the lines at the food trucks were formidable.

The six-lane bridge, which replaces a four-lane version built in 1963, doesn’t fully open to car traffic until later this month.

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