The bridge was completed 101 years ago in 1922 after only a year of construction, replacing an outmoded ferry system in which a single trip transported a maximum of six cars across the Columbia River. It was in fact the first bridge for vehicular traffic across the middle part of the Columbia River (only ferries and rail bridges were previously available).[4]
Originally planned in 1913 by B. B. Horrigan, funding was not secured until 1919, when Charles G. Huber of the Union Bridge Company sold $49,000 worth of stock to finance the project, despite the country being in the grips of the Post-World War I recession.[6] It was the first bridge of that size to be financed entirely with stock sales,[7] and was a toll bridge for the first nine years; tolls were removed in 1931 once the initial construction costs ($480,000) had been repaid.[4][8] It was also the first of three cantilever bridges built over the Columbia River in the 1920s.
The construction of the bridge was seen as a landmark in the development of the state's economy. The significance of the bridge is partly reflected in the beliefs and expectations of local and state residents who perceived the dedication as a history-making event, bringing together people from across the state; a gala affair that included speeches, car caravans, picnics, street dancing, and carnivals. As the Kennewick Courier-Reporter wrote, "The day the bridge was opened to traffic, a new era dawned for each community."[6] The bridge was also an essential part of the old Inland Empire Highway system.
Not only did it transform the nickname "Twin Cities" into reality, but it was also a major crossing of the Columbia River, thereby making it an important part of the transcontinental Yellowstone Trail,[9] and marked the first time that eastern and western halves of the state cooperated in the construction of something that was beneficial to both.[7]
The state of Washington purchased the bridge in 1931 and added it to the state highway system in 1933. Benton and Franklin counties took ownership of the bridge in 1954,[4] and then sold it to the cities of Pasco and Kennewick in 1968 for one dollar, which allowed the counties to begin planning the construction of the newer Cable Bridge.[10]
Use
Four years after its construction, the Green Bridge carried the newly formed US 410 between Kennewick and Pasco. In 1967, US 410 was decommissioned when US 12 was expanded from Lewiston to Aberdeen. The Green Bridge carried US 12 until its closure in 1978.
Demolition
After the completion of the Cable Bridge, bridge preservationists led by Virginia Devine succeeded in placing the Pasco-Kennewick Bridge on the National Register of Historic Places. As a result, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation came to an agreement with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Washington state historic preservation office such that if the state wanted to demolish the bridge, it would then be subject to a popular vote.[11]
In 1980, citizens of both Pasco and Kennewick voted in favor of its demolition, which then triggered a review by the FHWA to determine if any alternative uses could save the bridge from destruction. Preservationists submitted alternative plans to the FHWA, but the FHWA subsequently ruled that none of them were feasible or prudent. A lawsuit followed, with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington ruling in favor of the FHWA. The case was then appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, whereupon the earlier ruling was overturned, with the order for the FHWA to conduct a more thorough review.[12]
However, the FHWA still came to the same conclusion and the bridge was dismantled in March 1990,[13] with most of the piers removed by the end of 1991.[citation needed] A proposal to keep the piers to support a new fishing pier was rejected by the Kennewick city council in 1991.[14] One pier, as well as several wood and concrete footings portions several meters above the river bottom only visible while scuba diving, remains and serves as a scenic lookout from which the newer bridge may be seen.[citation needed]
^ ab"Pasco-Kennewick Bridge over Columbia River". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (photo). October 15, 1922. p. 5.
^"Dedicate bridge". Lewiston Morning Tribune. October 22, 1922. p. 2.
^ abcd"Span of Time to Claim Tri-Cities Bridge". Associated Press. November 11, 1981. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
^Dorpat, Paul; Sherrard, Jean (2007). Washington Then & Now. Big Earth Publishing. p. 106. ISBN978-1-56579-547-1.
^ abSoderberg, Lisa (October 1980). "Pasco–Kennewick Bridge" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
^ abGibson, Elizabeth (October 31, 2005). "Pasco-Kennewick (Benton-Franklin Inter-County) Bridge spanning the Columbia River is dedicated on October 21, 1922". HistoryLink. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
^MacNey, Malcolm (October 17, 1965). "Tri-Citians Celebrate When Old-Bridge Tolls Removed In 1931". Tri-City Herald. p. 26.
^Lindblom, Mike (March 21, 1990). "Piers all that's left of bridge". Tri-City Herald. p. A3.
^Donley, Jack (February 20, 1991). "Kennewick OKs Vista Field transfer". Tri-City Herald. p. A3.
External links
Media related to Pasco-Kennewick Bridge at Wikimedia Commons
Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. WA-8, "Pasco–Kennewick Bridge, Spanning Columbia River, Pasco, Franklin County, WA", 18 photos, 7 data pages, 2 photo caption pages
Benton Franklin Riverfront Trailway and Bridge Committee v. Lewis, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 701 F.2d 784
April 02, 2023
pasco, kennewick, bridge, 1922, pasco, kennewick, bridge, benton, franklin, inter, county, bridge, known, locally, green, bridge, steel, cantilever, truss, bridge, northwest, united, states, crossed, columbia, river, central, washington, connecting, pasco, ken. The Pasco Kennewick Bridge or Benton Franklin Inter County Bridge known locally as the Green Bridge 5 was a steel cantilever truss bridge in the northwest United States It crossed the Columbia River in central Washington connecting Pasco and Kennewick two of the Tri Cities Succeeded by the Cable Bridge in 1978 it was demolished in 1990 Pasco Kennewick BridgeAs seen from the newer Cable BridgeCoordinates46 13 6 25 N 119 6 13 73 W 46 2184028 N 119 1038139 W 46 2184028 119 1038139 Coordinates 46 13 6 25 N 119 6 13 73 W 46 2184028 N 119 1038139 W 46 2184028 119 1038139Pasco Kennewick BridgeFormerly listed on the U S National Register of Historic PlacesPasco Kennewick Bridge with the Cable Bridge in the backgroundLocationPasco WashingtonBuilt1922ArchitectUnion Bridge Co MPSHistoric Bridges Tunnels in Washington State TRNRHP reference No 82004213 1 Significant datesAdded to NRHPJuly 16 1982Removed from NRHPJuly 16 1990CrossesColumbia RiverLocalePasco Kennewick Washington U S CharacteristicsDesignCantilever truss bridgeMaterialSteelTotal length3 300 ft 1 006 m Height185 ft 56 m Longest span432 ft 132 m Clearance below54 ft 16 m HistoryDesignerM M CaldwellOpenedOctober 7 1922 1922 10 07 2 InauguratedOctober 21 1922 1922 10 21 2 3 Closed1978Replaced byCable BridgeStatisticsDaily traffic18 000 cars day 4 Tollnone after 1931 Location Contents 1 Construction 2 Use 3 Demolition 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksConstruction EditThe bridge was completed 101 years ago in 1922 after only a year of construction replacing an outmoded ferry system in which a single trip transported a maximum of six cars across the Columbia River It was in fact the first bridge for vehicular traffic across the middle part of the Columbia River only ferries and rail bridges were previously available 4 Originally planned in 1913 by B B Horrigan funding was not secured until 1919 when Charles G Huber of the Union Bridge Company sold 49 000 worth of stock to finance the project despite the country being in the grips of the Post World War I recession 6 It was the first bridge of that size to be financed entirely with stock sales 7 and was a toll bridge for the first nine years tolls were removed in 1931 once the initial construction costs 480 000 had been repaid 4 8 It was also the first of three cantilever bridges built over the Columbia River in the 1920s The construction of the bridge was seen as a landmark in the development of the state s economy The significance of the bridge is partly reflected in the beliefs and expectations of local and state residents who perceived the dedication as a history making event bringing together people from across the state a gala affair that included speeches car caravans picnics street dancing and carnivals As the Kennewick Courier Reporter wrote The day the bridge was opened to traffic a new era dawned for each community 6 The bridge was also an essential part of the old Inland Empire Highway system Not only did it transform the nickname Twin Cities into reality but it was also a major crossing of the Columbia River thereby making it an important part of the transcontinental Yellowstone Trail 9 and marked the first time that eastern and western halves of the state cooperated in the construction of something that was beneficial to both 7 The state of Washington purchased the bridge in 1931 and added it to the state highway system in 1933 Benton and Franklin counties took ownership of the bridge in 1954 4 and then sold it to the cities of Pasco and Kennewick in 1968 for one dollar which allowed the counties to begin planning the construction of the newer Cable Bridge 10 Use EditFour years after its construction the Green Bridge carried the newly formed US 410 between Kennewick and Pasco In 1967 US 410 was decommissioned when US 12 was expanded from Lewiston to Aberdeen The Green Bridge carried US 12 until its closure in 1978 Demolition EditAfter the completion of the Cable Bridge bridge preservationists led by Virginia Devine succeeded in placing the Pasco Kennewick Bridge on the National Register of Historic Places As a result the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation came to an agreement with the Federal Highway Administration FHWA and the Washington state historic preservation office such that if the state wanted to demolish the bridge it would then be subject to a popular vote 11 In 1980 citizens of both Pasco and Kennewick voted in favor of its demolition which then triggered a review by the FHWA to determine if any alternative uses could save the bridge from destruction Preservationists submitted alternative plans to the FHWA but the FHWA subsequently ruled that none of them were feasible or prudent A lawsuit followed with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington ruling in favor of the FHWA The case was then appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit whereupon the earlier ruling was overturned with the order for the FHWA to conduct a more thorough review 12 However the FHWA still came to the same conclusion and the bridge was dismantled in March 1990 13 with most of the piers removed by the end of 1991 citation needed A proposal to keep the piers to support a new fishing pier was rejected by the Kennewick city council in 1991 14 One pier as well as several wood and concrete footings portions several meters above the river bottom only visible while scuba diving remains and serves as a scenic lookout from which the newer bridge may be seen citation needed See also EditList of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Washington state References Edit National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service April 15 2008 a b Pasco Kennewick Bridge over Columbia River Lewiston Morning Tribune photo October 15 1922 p 5 Dedicate bridge Lewiston Morning Tribune October 22 1922 p 2 a b c d Span of Time to Claim Tri Cities Bridge Associated Press November 11 1981 Retrieved 2009 11 20 Dorpat Paul Sherrard Jean 2007 Washington Then amp Now Big Earth Publishing p 106 ISBN 978 1 56579 547 1 a b Soderberg Lisa October 1980 Pasco Kennewick Bridge PDF Historic American Engineering Record Washington D C Library of Congress Retrieved September 18 2022 a b Gibson Elizabeth October 31 2005 Pasco Kennewick Benton Franklin Inter County Bridge spanning the Columbia River is dedicated on October 21 1922 HistoryLink Retrieved 2008 05 27 MacNey Malcolm October 17 1965 Tri Citians Celebrate When Old Bridge Tolls Removed In 1931 Tri City Herald p 26 Jackson Donald C McCullough David G 1988 Great American Bridges and Dams John Wiley amp Sons p 314 ISBN 0 471 14385 5 Cities Decide to Buy Bridge Spokane Daily Chronicle August 3 1968 Retrieved 2009 11 20 Williams Laurie January 8 1987 Keep old bridge AARP report says Tri City Herald p A1 Jackson amp McCullough pp 68 70 Lindblom Mike March 21 1990 Piers all that s left of bridge Tri City Herald p A3 Donley Jack February 20 1991 Kennewick OKs Vista Field transfer Tri City Herald p A3 External links Edit Media related to Pasco Kennewick Bridge at Wikimedia Commons Historic American Engineering Record HAER No WA 8 Pasco Kennewick Bridge Spanning Columbia River Pasco Franklin County WA 18 photos 7 data pages 2 photo caption pages Pasco Kennewick Bridge at Structurae Benton Franklin Riverfront Trailway and Bridge Committee v Lewis U S Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit 701 F 2d 784 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pasco Kennewick Bridge 1922 amp oldid 1111061487, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
