Senator George Sellar Bridge

Senator George Sellar Bridge
Coordinates	47°24′36″N 120°17′41″W / 47.41°N 120.29472°WCoordinates: 47°24′36″N 120°17′41″W / 47.41°N 120.29472°W
Carries	US 2
Crosses	Columbia River
Locale	East Wenatchee, Washington / West Wenatchee, Washington
Maintained by	State of Washington
Characteristics
Design	Tied-arch bridge
Total length	1,208 feet (368 m)
Longest span	480 feet (150 m)
Clearance below	85 feet (26 m)[1]
History
Opened	1950
Replaces	Columbia River Bridge (Wenatchee, Washington)
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Nearest city	Wenatchee, Washington
Area	less than one acre
Built	1950
MPS	Bridges of Washington State MPS
NRHP Reference #	95000623[2]
Added to NRHP	May 24, 1995

The Senator George Sellar Bridge at Wenatchee, Washington was built in 1950 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 four lanes with a median divider strip at a height of 180 feet (55 m) above mean water level. The 1950 bridge replaced a bridge built in 1908 at the same location. 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.^[3]

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.^[3] Now named the Senator George Sellar Bridge after a Washington state senator, the 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.^[4] The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 24, 1995.^[2]

References

1. "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Columbia River Bridge at Wenatchee" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2011-09-01.
2. Staff (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
3. Krier, Robert H.; Barber, J. Byron; Bruce, Robert; Holstine, Craig (December 12, 1991). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Columbia River Bridge at Wenatchee" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
4. "George Sellar Bridge to Open for Pedestrians". Manson Village Tribune. September 22, 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2011.