.gif)
Blue Bridge (Washington)
Encyclopedia
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. The bridge was painted green at time of construction (green being the state color of Washington). It is one of three bridges connecting Pasco to the other members of the Tri-Cities of Washington (Kennewick and Richland
), along with the Cable Bridge
to the east and the Interstate 182 Bridge
from Richland to the northwest.
") was unable to handle the 10,000+ cars that were crossing it daily. Work on the bridge was begun in 1951. Work was completed in the summer of 1954 with a total cost of about $7 million. The bridge was dedicated on July 30, 1954. A United States flag flies atop the bridge, which was added during the re-decking of the bridge in 1989.
The Blue Bridge is also home to the most car accident
s in the entire Tri-Cities area, with one occurring almost every three days. During rush hour
, the junction of U.S Route 395 and State Route 240
on the southbound side of the bridge is especially crowded. Late in 2005, it was announced that funding had been obtained in order to remedy the situation, by modifying the approaches and exits to the bridge, especially at the Highway 395 southbound exit on the Kennewick side of the bridge. This included constructing two roundabout
s in place of the usual cloverleaf pattern. Construction began February 23 and was completed in October 2009.
In 2002, the bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(#02000241).
Truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
connecting Pasco, Washington
Pasco, Washington
Pasco is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Washington, United States.Pasco is one of three cities that make up the Tri-Cities region of the state of Washington...
to Kennewick, Washington
Kennewick, Washington
Kennewick is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, near the Hanford nuclear site. It is the most populous of the three cities collectively referred to as the Tri-Cities...
. U.S. Route 395 crosses the Columbia River
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...
via this bridge. The name comes from the blue
Blue
Blue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
paint used on the truss superstructure, with white paint on the suspension
Suspension 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...
beams. The bridge was painted green at time of construction (green being the state color of Washington). It is one of three bridges connecting Pasco to the other members of the Tri-Cities of Washington (Kennewick and Richland
Richland, Washington
Richland is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, at the confluence of the Yakima and the Columbia Rivers. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 48,058. April 1, 2011 estimates from the Washington State Office of Financial Management put the...
), along with the Cable Bridge
Cable Bridge
The Cable Bridge, officially called the Ed Hendler Bridge and sometimes called the Intercity Bridge, spans the Columbia River between Pasco and Kennewick in southeastern Washington as State Route 397...
to the east and the Interstate 182 Bridge
Interstate 182 Bridge
The Interstate 182 Bridge, formally known as the Lee-Volpentest Bridges is the collective name for a pair of bridges carrying Interstate 182 over the Columbia River between Pasco and Richland in the U.S. state of Washington. They are named after Glenn C. Lee, publisher of the Tri-City Herald, and...
from Richland to the northwest.
History
The bridge was first proposed in 1949 as the previous bridge (commonly referred to as the "Green BridgePasco-Kennewick Bridge (1922)
The Pasco-Kennewick Bridge or Benton-Franklin Inter-County Bridge, known locally as the Green Bridge, was a steel cantilever truss bridge crossing the Columbia River in central Washington, connecting the cities of Pasco and Kennewick...
") was unable to handle the 10,000+ cars that were crossing it daily. Work on the bridge was begun in 1951. Work was completed in the summer of 1954 with a total cost of about $7 million. The bridge was dedicated on July 30, 1954. A United States flag flies atop the bridge, which was added during the re-decking of the bridge in 1989.
The Blue Bridge is also home to the most car accident
Car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a traffic accident, motor vehicle collision, motor vehicle accident, car accident, automobile accident, Road Traffic Collision or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other stationary obstruction,...
s in the entire Tri-Cities area, with one occurring almost every three days. During rush hour
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
, the junction of U.S Route 395 and State Route 240
Washington State Route 240
State Route 240 is a busy state highway servicing the Tri-Cities of Washington and the Hanford Site.-Route description:Its eastern end begins at the southern end of the Blue Bridge in central Kennewick as an offshoot of U.S. Route 395...
on the southbound side of the bridge is especially crowded. Late in 2005, it was announced that funding had been obtained in order to remedy the situation, by modifying the approaches and exits to the bridge, especially at the Highway 395 southbound exit on the Kennewick side of the bridge. This included constructing two roundabout
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
s in place of the usual cloverleaf pattern. Construction began February 23 and was completed in October 2009.
In 2002, the bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(#02000241).