National Register of Historic Places

Columbia River Bridge at Wenatchee

Wenatchee, Chelan County, Washington
Listed
May 23, 1995
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
95000623

About this property

The Senator George Sellar Bridge at Wenatchee, Washington was built in 1950 as the "Columbia River Bridge" to carry U.S. Route 2 across the Columbia River. The steel suspended tied-arch bridge has a main span of 480 feet (150 m) with 224-foot (68 m) anchor arms. The suspended portion of roadway comprises 352 feet (107 m) and is 54 feet (16 m) wide, carrying five lanes (originally four) with a median divider strip at a height of 180 feet (55 m) above mean water level. The new bridge was recognized by the American Institute of Steel Construction as the most beautiful bridge of 1950 for spans over 400 feet (120 m) in length. The bridge's engineer was R. W. Finke. The contractor was the General Construction Company of Seattle, using steel fabricated by the American Bridge Company. The bridge rests on two concrete piers in the river, with the central arch between them, and cantilever spans extending to concrete abutments high on the riverbanks. The bridge was renamed in 2000 after George L. Sellar, a Washington state senator who died that year. Since then, the name "Columbia River Bridge" refers to the older bridge (built in 1908) nearby. Senator George Sellar Bridge carries Washington State Route 285 since the construction of the Richard Odabashian Bridge for Route 2 farther north. An additional lane was added in 2009–2010. The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 24, 1995.

Location

Wenatchee, Chelan County, Washington
47.40978, -120.29593

Categories

ENGINEERING
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Columbia River Bridge
Industrial
0.4 mi
Wenatchee Fire Station #1
Industrial
1.1 mi
U.S. Post Office and Annex
Industrial
1.1 mi
Burke-Hill Apartments
Industrial
1.1 mi
Wenatchee Carnegie Library
Industrial
1.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Columbia River Bridge at Wenatchee listed on the National Register?

Columbia River Bridge at Wenatchee was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 23, 1995.

What type of historic resource is Columbia River Bridge at Wenatchee?

Columbia River Bridge at Wenatchee is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Columbia River Bridge at Wenatchee?

The period of significance for Columbia River Bridge at Wenatchee is recorded as the industrial era.

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