More Info About The Beebe Bridge

A Little Bit About The Beebe Bridge:

The Beebe Bridge is in the news because of a semi-truck vs. bridge accident that occurred on August 31st.

Photo courtesy of Washington State Department of Transportation

Photo courtesy of Washington State Department of Transportation

The first Beebe Bridge was opened on this site in 1919 and was a large cable suspension bridge. There is still a concrete tower standing on a small bluff near today’s Beebe Bridge that is a leftover remnant of the original spanning of the Columbia River at this location. Like many bridges and roads in the North Central Washington region, this bridge was build to aid in the moving of apples and other fruit from one side of the Columbia River to the other, in this instance to get them from the orchards on the eastern shore to the railway station on the western shore.

The current Beebe Bridge was opened in 1963 and is a steel frame bridge that carries US Highway 97 across the Columbia River. The Bridge is an important bridge both locally and statewide as it provides access to the major north-south route through the center of the state. Luckily there is a reasonable detour available courtesy of US Highway 97A which runs from Chelan to Wenatchee. Just south of the bridge on the eastern shore is Beebe Bridge Park which is managed by the Chelan County PUD and includes more than 40 campsites, a swimming area, boat launch, and play equipment.

Here is an interesting bit of information regarding the Beebe Bridge. Crossing the Snake River on Highway 127 is the Elmer Huntley Bridge which is a near twin of the Beebe Bridge. The Huntley Bridge opened in 1968 using the exact same design as the Beebe bridge.

See photos of other bridges in North Central Washington

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