Kettle Falls Bridges
Encyclopedia
The Kettle Falls Bridges is the collective name for a pair of steel cantilever bridge
s carrying State Route 20/U.S. Route 395
and the BNSF Railway
across the Columbia River
at Kettle Falls, Washington
. The south bridge carries motor vehicle traffic while the similar northern span is used for rail.
to form Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake
. The bridges are historically significant because they feature the longest central spans of any highway bridge built in Washington state during the 1940s. In 1995 the steel truss road bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
as it backed up behind the new Grand Coulee Dam
. The bridge initially carried Primary State Highway 3, later designated U.S. Route 395
. The bridge is primarily a steel cantilever
structure with an almost horizontal top chord and sloping bottom chords, designed to reduce the height of the concrete piers. Concrete T-beam approach spans are used, with unusual sloping concrete bets that serve to laterally brace the first piers supporting the steel structure against pressure of embankment fill.
The central span is 300 feet (91.4 m) long, with 150 feet (45.7 m) cantilevered spans for a total span between piers of 600 feet (182.9 m). Anchor spans are 225 feet (68.6 m), with a 143 feet (43.6 m) east approach span and a 73 feet (22.3 m) west approach span. The two-lane bridge was the longest span to be built in Washington between 1941 and 1950. The bridge was designed by the Washington Department of Highways, R.W. Finke, designer, and was fabricated by the L. Romano Engineering Company of Seattle
. The project was financed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as part of the Grand Coulee project. The crossing was originally intended to be a single dual-use bridge, carrying the highway and the Great Northern Railroad, which also had to be relocated, but a joint contract could not be negotiated with the railroad, and a parallel rail crossing was built with similar construction.
The Kettle Falls bridge is similar to the Grand Coulee Bridge
, built in 1935, but with refinements to aesthetics by replacing the Coulee Bridge's laced channels with built-up punched channel bracing. The design was repeated on a larger scale at the Northport Bridge
in 1948. The bridge opened on May 3, 1941. The old bridge was disassembled, except for its piers, that summer.
The Kettle Falls road bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on March 28, 1995.
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
s carrying State Route 20/U.S. Route 395
U.S. Route 395 in Washington
In the U.S. state of Washington, U.S. Route 395 is a major state highway in two parts, separated by a long overlap with Interstate 90 between Ritzville and Spokane. The southern piece, from I-82 near the Tri-Cities to I-90 near Ritzville, is a high-speed four-lane divided highway...
and the BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
across 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...
at Kettle Falls, Washington
Kettle Falls, Washington
Kettle Falls is a city in Stevens County, Washington, United States, named for the nearby Kettle Falls on the Columbia River, an ancient and important fishing site for Native Americans...
. The south bridge carries motor vehicle traffic while the similar northern span is used for rail.
History
On May 3, 1941, the Columbia River road bridge at Kettle Falls opened to traffic. Both bridges were constructed to replace bridges flooded by waters rising behind the Grand Coulee DamGrand Coulee Dam
Grand Coulee Dam is a gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation. It was constructed between 1933 and 1942, originally with two power plants. A third power station was completed in 1974 to increase its energy...
to form Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake
Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake
Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake is the reservoir created in 1941 by the impoundment of the Columbia River by the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state. It is named for Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was President during the construction of the dam...
. The bridges are historically significant because they feature the longest central spans of any highway bridge built in Washington state during the 1940s. In 1995 the steel truss road bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Road bridge
The road bridge, with a total length of 1266 feet (385.9 m), was completed in 1941, replacing a 1929 steel deck truss bridge whose location was to be partly submerged by Lake RooseveltLake Roosevelt
Lake Roosevelt is the name of multiple places:in the United States:*Theodore Roosevelt Lake on the Salt River in Arizona*Franklin Delano Roosevelt Lake on the Columbia River in Washington...
as it backed up behind the new Grand Coulee Dam
Grand Coulee Dam
Grand Coulee Dam is a gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation. It was constructed between 1933 and 1942, originally with two power plants. A third power station was completed in 1974 to increase its energy...
. The bridge initially carried Primary State Highway 3, later designated U.S. Route 395
U.S. Route 395
U.S. Route 395 is a U.S. Route in the western United States. The southern terminus of the route is in the Mojave Desert at Interstate 15 near Hesperia. The northern terminus is at the Canadian border near Laurier, where the road becomes Highway 395 upon entering British Columbia. At one time, the...
. The bridge is primarily a steel cantilever
Cantilever bridge
A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using cantilevers, structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end. For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beams; however, large cantilever bridges designed to handle road or rail traffic use trusses built from...
structure with an almost horizontal top chord and sloping bottom chords, designed to reduce the height of the concrete piers. Concrete T-beam approach spans are used, with unusual sloping concrete bets that serve to laterally brace the first piers supporting the steel structure against pressure of embankment fill.
The central span is 300 feet (91.4 m) long, with 150 feet (45.7 m) cantilevered spans for a total span between piers of 600 feet (182.9 m). Anchor spans are 225 feet (68.6 m), with a 143 feet (43.6 m) east approach span and a 73 feet (22.3 m) west approach span. The two-lane bridge was the longest span to be built in Washington between 1941 and 1950. The bridge was designed by the Washington Department of Highways, R.W. Finke, designer, and was fabricated by the L. Romano Engineering Company of Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. The project was financed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as part of the Grand Coulee project. The crossing was originally intended to be a single dual-use bridge, carrying the highway and the Great Northern Railroad, which also had to be relocated, but a joint contract could not be negotiated with the railroad, and a parallel rail crossing was built with similar construction.
The Kettle Falls bridge is similar to the Grand Coulee Bridge
Grand Coulee Bridge
The Grand Coulee Bridge, or Columbia River Bridge at Grand Coulee Dam, is a thru-cantilever steel truss bridge built in 1935. It carries Washington State Route 155. It is near the city of Grand Coulee, Washington and the Grand Coulee Dam. In 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic...
, built in 1935, but with refinements to aesthetics by replacing the Coulee Bridge's laced channels with built-up punched channel bracing. The design was repeated on a larger scale at the Northport Bridge
Northport Bridge
The Northport Bridge spans the Columbia River near Northport, Washington, close to the border with Canada. The steel cantilever through-truss bridge replaced an 1897 timber bridge, and was completed in 1951. It carries Washington State Route 25...
in 1948. The bridge opened on May 3, 1941. The old bridge was disassembled, except for its piers, that summer.
The Kettle Falls road 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...
on March 28, 1995.
External links
- Columbia River Bridge at Kettle Falls, U.S. Route 395 spanning Columbia River, Kettle Falls vicinity, Stevens, WA, at the Historic American Engineering Record