Brewster Bridge is a, two lane bridge crossing the Columbia River at Brewster, Washington. The bridge is part of State Route 173. The original bridge was constructed between August 1927 and June 1928. In 1968 the bridge was destroyed by a fire but was rebuilt in 1970.[1]
The bridge spans from Brewster, in Okanogan county, to rural Douglas county 10 miles north of Bridgeport, Washington.
Brewster Bridge | |
   | |
| Location |  SR 173 |
|---|---|
| Nearest city | Brewster, Washington |
| Coordinates | 48°05′12.6″N 119°46′51″W / 48.086833°N 119.78083°W |
| Built | 1928; Rebuilt 1970 |
History
editOriginal Bridge
editBefore the bridge three ferries served the Brewster area and in order to increase flow of goods between Okanogan county and the Sunset Highway the bridge was constructed. The original bridge was a steel truss bridge 1596 ft (486 m) long built with five piers. The bridge was originally built privately and had a toll, but was purchased by the Washington Department of Transport, who then raised it 7.5 ft (2.3 m) to make room for rising water from Wells Dam downriver.[2][3]
On August 5th, 1968, a welding torch caused a fire in the center of the bridge causing it to collapse.[4]
Current Bridge
editThe current bridge at Brewster was completed in 1970 and was built on the original piers. Before the bridges completion a 15 minute ferry was used as a temporary replacement for the crossing.[5][3]
In 1986 the state unsuccessfully attempted to transfer, SR 173 including the bridge, to the county level.[6]
- ^ "Brewster -- Thumbnail History". www.historylink.org. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "The Spokesman-Review - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ a b "Bridges". www.nwcouncil.org. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ Holstein, Craig E.; Hobbs, Richard (2005). Spanning Washington: Historic Highway Bridges of the Evergreen State. Washington State University Press. p. 56. ISBN 9780874222814.
- ^ "Spokane Daily Chronicle - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ "Quad-City Herald - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 2023-09-20.