This has been one of the highest profile events we did. How often do you get to do the production for the official opening a multi-million dollar public works project?

The New Tacoma Narrows Bridge was the largest suspension bridge to open in the U.S in over 40 years.

When Bob and I first met with Washington State Department of Transportation officials they expected two thousand people to show up for the event. Bob thought I was crazy when I told him to expect between ten and twenty thousand. On the day of the show over fifty thousand people arrived to watch the program and take the only chance they would ever have to walk across the new bridge.

Rick Singer and Victoria Tobin were our DOT contacts and were among the best people we’ve worked with. They had never put on an event and knew that there were members of the public who would scream at their tax dollars being spent on a “giant party.” They also knew that the press and dignitaries would notice if the event wasn’t a top notch.

Easy enough, it had to be a “Class A” event on a public budget. Oh yeah, with national press that needed to have a perfect audio feed of all the dignitaries. On all the stages stages.

We ended up with three stages, press feeds and press risers that had to go up and come down all day. We also had to figure out how to position everything to get the best pictures for the press, leave enough room for fire access and safety all on a four lane highway.

The three official stages were:

1. The Ceremonial First Toll west of the bridge at the new toll booths. After speeches we had to clear the lectern and cables so we could get old cars through the toll booths, and then drive across the bridge. Guests included State Treasurer Mike Murphy and House Speaker Frank Chopp amongst others. The first Car to cross the new bridge was the same 1923 Lincoln that crossed the two previous Narrows Bridges.

2. The Bridges of Faith Remembrance Ceremony at the west anchorage. This was a beautiful ceremony. Washington State Patrol Chief John Batiste was the M.C and his daughter sand an amazing rendition of Amazing Grace.

3. The Main Stage. This is where the official opening and ribbon cutting occurred.  Washington Governor Chris Gergoire and a dozen of the new bridge construction workers cut the official ribbon for the stage; Also in attendance on the main stage were several dozen state senators and legislators who shared the stage and microphone.

The Main Stage had to be built so that it would straddle the concrete jersey barrier, and have an extension built for the main podium where the dignitaries would speak with both bridges as the background. The stage was designed and built by Warren Crain, Head Carpenter from The Broadway Center for the Performing Arts.

Some related articles on the narrows bridge:

Washington DOT pictures from the opening;

The Wikipedia.com entry on the Tacoma Narrows Bridge;

The Washington DOT page on the new span;

The News Tribunes Tacoma Narrows Page;