The Beebe Bridge is somewhat of a historic crossing in North Central Washington. Even before the current bridge stood there, early settlers and the military were in need of crossing the Columbia River there at Chelan Falls. Here is a look at five fun facts about the Beebe Bridge.
-The Beebe Bridge is 1,040 feet long and the bridge deck is 26 feet wide.
-Construction began on the modern Beebe Bridge in 1959 and it opened in 1963.
-The Beebe Bridge gets its name from The Beebe Orchard Company which had built the original bridge at that location in 1919. The original bridge’s main purpose was to carry irrigation water from the west side of the river to the east but it later developed into a private toll bridge that operated until it was replaced with the new bridge in 1963. The old concrete towers of the original bridge are still visible.
-The construction of the piers for the modern Beebe Bridge was able to be done on dry land. The land surrounding the piers would later be covered by water backed up behind the newly build Rocky Reach Dam.
-Due to damage to the steel trusses and beams from a semi-truck collision on August 31, 2009, the Beebe Bridge was closed until repairs and safety inspections could be completed. It reopened on October 9, 2009. In the meantime, traffic in the area wanting to cross the river was detoured on U.S. 97 and U.S. 97A down to Wenatchee.