Travis Thonstad
University of Washington civil and environmental engineering professor and researcher who worked on design, testing, and monitoring for the light rail trackbridge across Lake Washington.
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Mar 30, 2026 • 18min
It took years to float a train over Lake Washington. Here's how it works
Travis Thonstad, a UW civil and environmental engineering professor who helped design and test the light rail trackbridge, explains the years-long effort. He discusses floating-bridge movements and why joining rigid rail to a moving deck was tricky. Hear about early prototypes, full-scale testing, clever flexible-track solutions, ballast adjustments during construction, and long-term sensor monitoring and a digital twin.
