Rating:
4 votes
Grand Coulee Bridge
Photos
Coulee Dam Bridge
Side elevation from the northeast
Photo taken by Mike Goff in May 2012
BH Photo #231742
Description
The Bureau of Reclamation originally proposed to build a suspension bridge just downstream of Grand Coulee Dam but abandoned that concept in favor of a cantilever structure. Tests borings revealed that the bridge site’s geology was unsuitable for construction of cable anchorages. The cantilever design was also favored by local steel suppliers and contractors who felt they were in a better position to bid for work on this type of structure. Western Construction Company was awarded the contract to build the piers and abutments in February 1934 and commenced work immediately. The contractor experienced problems with high water and landslides and at one point fell seven months behind schedule. Several temporary footbridges and a trestle were built to facilitate construction efforts on the dam itself during this period. The Pomeroy Company began erection of the steel superstructure in the summer of 1934 and the bridge opened for traffic on January 24, 1936.Facts
- Overview
- Cantilevered through truss bridge over Columbia River on WA 155 in Coulee Dam
- Location
- Coulee Dam, Okanogan County, Washington, and Douglas County, Washington
- Status
- Open to traffic
- History
- Built 1935
- Builders
- - J.H. Pomeroy of San Francisco, California (Superstructure Contractor)
- Washington Department of Highways (Engineer)
- Western Construction of Spokane, Washington (Substructure Contractor)
- Design
- Cantilever steel Warren through truss with Wichert deck truss elements.
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 549.9 ft.
Total length: 1,089.0 ft.
Deck width: 20.3 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 14.5 ft.
- Recognition
- Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on July 16, 1982
- Also called
- Coulee Dam Bridge
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +47.96534, -118.98235 (decimal degrees)
47°57'55" N, 118°58'56" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 11/352029/5314350 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Grand Coulee Dam
- Average daily traffic (as of 2016)
- 4,885
- Inventory numbers
- NRHP 82004267 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
BH 34413 (Bridgehunter.com ID) - Inspection report (as of October 2017)
- Overall condition: Fair
Superstructure condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Good (7 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Satisfactory (6 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 46.8 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com
Update Log
- April 22, 2018: Updated by Richard Doody: Added historical info to description
- February 11, 2013: Updated by Nathan Holth: Added Builders
- May 10, 2012: New photos from Mike Goff
- March 25, 2011: New photos from Michael Goff
- December 16, 2008: Updated by Michael Goff
Related Bridges
- Bridgeport Bridge (Downstream)
- Grand Coulee Dam Bridge (Upstream)
Sources
- Mike Goff - michael [dot] goff [at] hotmail [dot] com
- Wikipedia
- K. A. Erickson
- HAER WA-102 - Columbia River Bridge at Grand Coulee Dam
- Nathan Holth
- Historicbridges.org - by Nathan Holth
- Richard Doody
© Copyright 2021, Historic Bridge Foundation and contributors.
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/wa/okanogan/coulee/
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/wa/okanogan/coulee/
It seems the further west you go, the better treatment of and appreciation for truss and other notable "non UCEB" bridges is evident. Imangine driving US 101, or the Pacific Coast Highway, and every bridge "an ugly slab of dime a dozen CONCRETE!" It would be TERRIBLE! Back east that "nightmare" is coming true each time demolition companies accept tax-payer dollars.