OLYMPIA -- With his wife and parents looking on, the Washington State Transportation Commission voted unanimously Tuesday morning to rename the I-405 bridge over 116th Street in Kirkland the Kollin Nielson Memorial Bridge.
Nielson was a 30-year-old engineer working on the 405 widening project when he was struck and killed by a drunk driver who left the roadway in the early morning hours of June 22, 2007. Nielson left behind his wife, Sara, and young son, Luke.
“This was a tragedy of the most senseless variety,” said Sen. Rodney Tom, a Bellevue Democrat who initially sponsored legislation in Olympia to rename the bridge. “Today’s vote will help preserve the memory of an honorable man who lost his life doing the public’s work.”
Tom took the proposal to the Kirkland Transportation Commission and the City Council this summer to get their support before sending it to the state Transportation Commission. Co-workers gave emotional testimony supporting the proposal during hearings in Kirkland and Olympia.
The state Transportation Commission wasted little time in adopting it Tuesday on a unanimous voice vote.
“This won’t bring Kollin back to his family but it will remind us and future generations just how deadly drunk driving can be,” Tom said. “This also illustrates why it’s so important that we slow down when driving through construction zones.”