The Columbia River Bridge at

Wenatchee, Washington Wenatchee ( ) is the county seat and most populous city of Chelan County, Washington, Chelan County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925, and has increased to 35,508 as of 2020. ...

, also known as the Old Wenatchee Bridge and W.T. Clark Pipeline Bridge was built by the Washington Bridge Company in 1908, primarily as a means to carry irrigation water pipelines across the

Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook language, Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin language, Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river headwater ...

. It was the first road bridge over the Columbia south of Canada. The bridge is a pin-connected cantilever truss, long, with one

Pratt truss A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements, typically straight, may be stressed from tension, compression, or ...

between two cantilever arms, with side arms and a girder span. The bridge was purchased by the Washington highway department for $182,000 for highway use. As originally built, the bridge carried a wide timber roadway, with additional ability to carry a street railway. However, the east approach to the bridge was built at a 6% grade, limiting its potential. The bridge was replaced in 1950 by the Senator George Sellar Bridge. The next year the Wenatchee Reclamation District bought the bridge for $1.00, moving the pipes from outside the truss to within. The bridge was opened to foot traffic. In 2007 concerns were raised about the bridge's ability to sustain foot traffic. Repairs were made in 2010. The bridge currently carries pedestrian and bicycle traffic as part of the

Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail The Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail is an urban bicycle and pedestrian trail in Wenatchee, Washington, United States. It follows the west and east shores of the Columbia River for and was completed in 1995. Route The trail runs clockwise ...

. It was placed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

on July 16, 1982. and The bridge was renamed for irrigation canal builder William T. Clark in 2023. Columbia River Bridge NRHP 82004198 Chelan County, WA.jpg, Bridge in 2016

References

{{authority control Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state) Bridges completed in 1908 Bridges in Chelan County, Washington Bridges in Douglas County, Washington Bridges over the Columbia River National Register of Historic Places in Chelan County, Washington 1908 establishments in Washington (state) Cantilever bridges in the United States Girder bridges in the United States Pratt truss bridges in the United States Metal bridges in the United States