Senator George Sellar Bridge

Bridge in Washington / Wenatchee, Washington

47°24′35″N 120°17′44″W / 47.40983°N 120.29568°W / 47.40983; -120.29568 (Columbia River Bridge)Carries

SR 285CrossesColumbia RiverLocaleEast Wenatchee, Washington / Wenatchee, WashingtonMaintained byState of WashingtonCharacteristicsDesignThrough arch bridgeTotal length1,208 feet (368 m)Longest span480 feet (150 m)Clearance below85 feet (26 m)^[1]HistoryOpenedOctober 28, 1950ReplacesColumbia River Bridge (Wenatchee, Washington)

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Location in Washington

Nearest cityWenatchee, WashingtonArealess than one acreBuilt1950Built byWashington State Department of HighwaysMPSBridges of Washington State MPSNRHP reference No.95000623^[2]Added to NRHPMay 24, 1995 Location Map

The Senator George Sellar Bridge at Wenatchee, Washington was built in 1950 as the "Columbia River Bridge" to carry U.S. Route 2 across the Columbia River.

The steel suspended tied-arch bridge has a main span of 480 feet (150 m) with 224-foot (68 m) anchor arms. The suspended portion of roadway comprises 352 feet (107 m) and is 54 feet (16 m) wide, carrying five lanes (originally four) with a median divider strip at a height of 180 feet (55 m) above mean water level. The new bridge was recognized by the American Institute of Steel Construction as the most beautiful bridge of 1950 for spans over 400 feet (120 m) in length.^[3]^[4] The bridge's engineer was R. W. Finke. The contractor was the General Construction Company of Seattle, using steel fabricated by the American Bridge Company. The bridge rests on two concrete piers in the river, with the central arch between them, and cantilever spans extending to concrete abutments high on the riverbanks.^[3]

The bridge was renamed in 2000 after George L. Sellar, a Washington state senator who died that year.^[5]^[6] Since then, the name "Columbia River Bridge" refers to the older bridge (built in 1908) nearby. Senator George Sellar Bridge carries Washington State Route 285 since the construction of the Richard Odabashian Bridge for Route 2 farther north. An additional lane was added in 2009–2010.^[7] The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 24, 1995.^[8]

References

^ "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Columbia River Bridge at Wenatchee" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
^ ^a ^b Krier, Robert H.; Barber, J. Byron; Bruce, Robert; Holstine, Craig (December 12, 1991). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Columbia River Bridge at Wenatchee" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
^ PDF
^ Seabrook, Don (April 7, 2021). "Looking back: Sen. George Sellar Bridge". The Wenatchee World.
^ Ammons, David (December 30, 2000). "George Sellar, GOP leader, dies at 71". The Seattle Times.
^ "George Sellar Bridge to Open for Pedestrians". Manson Village Tribune. September 22, 2009. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
^ "Nomination Form for Senator George Sellar Bridge". National Park Service. and accompanying pictures