Cable Bridge
Encyclopedia
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
. It was constructed in 1978 and replaced the Pasco-Kennewick Bridge
, an earlier span built in 1922 and demolished in 1990.
The bridge is one of seven major bridge structures in the Tri-Cities area. The Blue Bridge
(another Pasco/Kennewick bridge), the Interstate 182 Bridge
that connects Pasco with Richland
, the U.S. Highway 12 bridge over the Snake River
(Pasco/Burbank), and three railroad bridges are the others.
At the time, the bridge was thought to be the first in the United States to use a 'cable-stayed' design and is constructed almost entirely of prestressed concrete
(knowledge of the Captain William Moore Bridge, an asymmetric cable-stayed bridge near Skagway, Alaska, which was completed three years earlier, was not widespread outside Alaska). The bridge towers were constructed first, with the bridge deck, which was cast in individual segments, raised up and secured to each other.
The bridge was named after Ed Hendler, a Pasco, Washington insurance salesman, as well as the city's former mayor, who headed up the committee responsible for obtaining the funding for construction of the bridge. Hendler died in August 2001.
A controversial feature of the bridge was added in 1998, when lights were added to illuminate the bridge at night. Many thought this was unnecessary and a waste of both electricity and money. During a power crisis in 2000, the lights were turned off, but they were turned on for one night to honor Hendler's passing. Now the lights are turned on at night, and turned off at 2am.
In March of 2007, the old guard rail system on the bridge, which consisted of steel cables, was replaced with a more rigid system, consisting of steel rails bolted to the original system's mounts on the bridge deck.
headquarters. 1-mile and 5-kilometer races are also offered, with all three sharing the same starting line. The 5- and 10-kilometer events share an indoor finish line at the Lampson Maintenance Shop, while the 1-mile has its own outdoor finish.
At the foot of the Kennewick end is the Tri-Cities Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which has engraved on it the names of the area's dead. The remaining pier of the old Pasco-Kennewick bridge
, which was replaced by the Cable Bridge, now serves as a scenic lookout, from which one can view the more recent bridge.
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...
between Pasco
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...
and Kennewick
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...
in southeastern Washington as State Route 397
Washington State Route 397
State Route 397 is a state highway in Benton and Frankin counties, in the U.S. state of Washington. It extends from Piert Road in Finley, north on the Cable Bridge over the Columbia River, to Interstate 182 , U.S. Route 12 , and US 395 in Pasco. The route serves as a connector between...
. It was constructed in 1978 and replaced the Pasco-Kennewick Bridge
Pasco-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...
, an earlier span built in 1922 and demolished in 1990.
The bridge is one of seven major bridge structures in the Tri-Cities area. The Blue Bridge
Blue Bridge (Washington)
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...
(another Pasco/Kennewick bridge), 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...
that connects Pasco with 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...
, the U.S. Highway 12 bridge over the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
(Pasco/Burbank), and three railroad bridges are the others.
At the time, the bridge was thought to be the first in the United States to use a 'cable-stayed' design and is constructed almost entirely of prestressed concrete
Prestressed concrete
Prestressed concrete is a method for overcoming concrete's natural weakness in tension. It can be used to produce beams, floors or bridges with a longer span than is practical with ordinary reinforced concrete...
(knowledge of the Captain William Moore Bridge, an asymmetric cable-stayed bridge near Skagway, Alaska, which was completed three years earlier, was not widespread outside Alaska). The bridge towers were constructed first, with the bridge deck, which was cast in individual segments, raised up and secured to each other.
The bridge was named after Ed Hendler, a Pasco, Washington insurance salesman, as well as the city's former mayor, who headed up the committee responsible for obtaining the funding for construction of the bridge. Hendler died in August 2001.
A controversial feature of the bridge was added in 1998, when lights were added to illuminate the bridge at night. Many thought this was unnecessary and a waste of both electricity and money. During a power crisis in 2000, the lights were turned off, but they were turned on for one night to honor Hendler's passing. Now the lights are turned on at night, and turned off at 2am.
In March of 2007, the old guard rail system on the bridge, which consisted of steel cables, was replaced with a more rigid system, consisting of steel rails bolted to the original system's mounts on the bridge deck.
The bridge as a status symbol
The Cable Bridge, from the time of its opening, has proved to be a popular landmark in the Tri-City area, so much so it has become an unofficial symbol of the area. Every winter, an event known as the Cable Bridge Run, a 10-kilometer foot race, starts at the Kennewick end of the bridge near the Lampson InternationalLampson International
Lampson International is a crane manufacturer located in Kennewick, Washington established in 1946 by Neil F. Lampson. Lampson operates one of the largest crane fleets in the United States with a fleet including Heavy Lift Cranes with capacities from 100 tons to 750 tons and Heavy Lift Transi-Lift...
headquarters. 1-mile and 5-kilometer races are also offered, with all three sharing the same starting line. The 5- and 10-kilometer events share an indoor finish line at the Lampson Maintenance Shop, while the 1-mile has its own outdoor finish.
At the foot of the Kennewick end is the Tri-Cities Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which has engraved on it the names of the area's dead. The remaining pier of the old Pasco-Kennewick bridge
Pasco-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...
, which was replaced by the Cable Bridge, now serves as a scenic lookout, from which one can view the more recent bridge.