09/08/2026
Building and expanding major infrastructure requires raw physical labor, precision, and relentless consistency. When photographing the expansion of the SR 520 bridge connecting Seattle and Bellevue, I spent time on site watching local ironworkers prepare the structural foundation long before any concrete was poured.
The focus of this project was capturing the crews responsible for placing and tying the rebar. Rebar forms the backbone of a bridge deck. Every piece of steel must be placed according to precise engineering specifications, bound together by hand, and secured to handle the stress of daily traffic across Lake Washington.
Working the Grid
Standing on the deck framework, the scope of the manual work is apparent. Ironworkers spend hours bent over endless grids of heavy steel, pulling tie wire tight with pliers to lock every intersection into place. It is repetitive, grueling, and physically demanding work carried out in all weather conditions.
Precision under stress: Each rebar tie holds the structural cage in alignment so it won't shift when thousands of pounds of wet concrete are pumped over it.
Team rhythm: Crews work in coordinated lines, moving steady and methodical across massive sections of open deck.
Environment: Working out over the water adds another layer of exposure to the weather, wind, and height.
Documenting the Process
My goal with these images was to record the honest reality of industrial construction. Rather than overly staged portraits, the photographs focus on the actual mechanics of the job: the strain on hands, the worn gear, the scale of the steel structure, and the steady focus required to build something designed to last for decades.
Infrastructure projects often get judged by their final appearance or traffic flow, but the real integrity of the bridge is set long before the road opens. These photos capture the trade union members who built that foundation, one tie at a time.
