Beebe Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Beebe Bridge is a two-lane, steel highway bridge crossing the Columbia River
at Chelan Falls, Washington. Located three miles east of Lake Chelan
, the bridge is part of U.S. Route 97
and averages 5000 vehicle crossings per day.
The Beebe Bridge is 1040 feet (317 m) long with a deck width of 26 feet (7.9 m) supporting one lane of traffic in each direction and 3 foot (0.9144 m) sidewalks on either side. It is one of three “Continuous-steel through-truss tied-arch” bridges in the state. The Blue Bridge
over the Columbia in the Tri-Cities, and the Elmer Huntley Bridge over the Snake
are of the same design. Seismically retrofitted in 2000, the Beebe Bridge was considered to be in very good condition following its last structural safety inspection in 2007. In 1959 WSDOT
began construction of the current bridge, which was opened in June 1963 for a cost $1,120,000.
, in 1919, over the Columbia River at Chelan Falls to carry irrigation water in two 12-inch water flumes from springs on the west side to their orchards on the east side of the river. The Beebe Bridge was the first suspension bridge in Washington State, was completed at a cost of $75,000, and was, at the time, the largest privately built and owned bridge in the world.
By 1947 the Beebe Orchard Company was the state's largest apple growing enterprise operated by a single family.
Although not originally intended for public vehicle crossing, the historic bridge's 12 feet (3.7 m) wooden-deck roadway aided in fruit transport and helped the company recoup the cost of extending the water pipeline by instituting crossing tolls. Although the water flumes were removed in 1926, the private toll bridge remained in use until it was replaced by the current state bridge in 1963.
The state began construction of the present bridge in 1959 and had completed the piers before the reservoir behind Rocky Reach dam
, also known as Lake Entiat
, inundated the site. During continued construction, legal maneuvering by the orchard company brought the project to a halt for over a year. The Beebe Orchard Company finally agreed to accept a one-time payment of $4,000 for its property and interests. The old suspension bridge was dismantled but its concrete towers were left in place and can still be seen just downstream (south) of the new span.
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
at Chelan Falls, Washington. Located three miles east of Lake Chelan
Lake Chelan
Lake Chelan is a narrow, 55-mile-long lake in Chelan County, northern Washington state, U.S. It is the largest natural lake in Washington state...
, the bridge is part of U.S. Route 97
U.S. Route 97
U.S. Route 97 is a major north–south United States highway in the western United States. It begins at a junction with Interstate 5 at Weed, California, and travels north, ending in Okanogan County, Washington, at the Canadian Border, across from Osoyoos, British Columbia, becoming British...
and averages 5000 vehicle crossings per day.
The Beebe Bridge is 1040 feet (317 m) long with a deck width of 26 feet (7.9 m) supporting one lane of traffic in each direction and 3 foot (0.9144 m) sidewalks on either side. It is one of three “Continuous-steel through-truss tied-arch” bridges in the state. The Blue Bridge
Blue Bridge (Washington)
The Blue Bridge is a four-lane arch-truss bridge connecting Pasco, Washington to Kennewick, Washington. U.S. Route 395 crosses the Columbia River via this bridge. The name comes from the blue paint used on the truss superstructure, with white paint on the suspension beams...
over the Columbia in the Tri-Cities, and the Elmer Huntley Bridge over the Snake
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
are of the same design. Seismically retrofitted in 2000, the Beebe Bridge was considered to be in very good condition following its last structural safety inspection in 2007. In 1959 WSDOT
Washington State Department of Transportation
The Washington State Department of Transportation , was established in 1905. The agency, led by a Secretary and overseen by the Governor, is a Washington governmental agency that constructs, maintains, and regulates the use of the state's transportation infrastructure...
began construction of the current bridge, which was opened in June 1963 for a cost $1,120,000.
History
The bridge is named after The Beebe Orchard Company which built the first bridge, a reinforced concrete tower suspension bridgeSuspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
, in 1919, over the Columbia River at Chelan Falls to carry irrigation water in two 12-inch water flumes from springs on the west side to their orchards on the east side of the river. The Beebe Bridge was the first suspension bridge in Washington State, was completed at a cost of $75,000, and was, at the time, the largest privately built and owned bridge in the world.
By 1947 the Beebe Orchard Company was the state's largest apple growing enterprise operated by a single family.
Although not originally intended for public vehicle crossing, the historic bridge's 12 feet (3.7 m) wooden-deck roadway aided in fruit transport and helped the company recoup the cost of extending the water pipeline by instituting crossing tolls. Although the water flumes were removed in 1926, the private toll bridge remained in use until it was replaced by the current state bridge in 1963.
The state began construction of the present bridge in 1959 and had completed the piers before the reservoir behind Rocky Reach dam
Rocky Reach Dam
Rocky Reach Dam is a hydroelectric dam in the U.S. state of Washington. Chelan County Public Utility District's Rocky Reach Dam and Hydro Project is located in north central Washington state, USA on the Columbia River, about seven miles upstream from the city of Wenatchee...
, also known as Lake Entiat
Lake Entiat
Lake Entiat is a reservoir between Chelan County and Douglas County in North Central Washington that is formed above Rocky Reach Dam , a hydroelectric dam on the Columbia River. The reservoir is north of Wenatchee and stretches upstream to the Wells Dam. Lincoln Rock State Park is on its east...
, inundated the site. During continued construction, legal maneuvering by the orchard company brought the project to a halt for over a year. The Beebe Orchard Company finally agreed to accept a one-time payment of $4,000 for its property and interests. The old suspension bridge was dismantled but its concrete towers were left in place and can still be seen just downstream (south) of the new span.