Cable Bridge in Tri-Cities is under the microscope
By Terry Murry on Friday, September 1st, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
OLYMPIA – The Washington State Department of Transportation has hired a contractor to inspect the Cable Bridge, officially named the Ed Hendler Bridge, which spans the Columbia River between Kennewick and Pasco. As part of a routine inspection in May 2022, bridge crews observed breaks in the protective pipe around the suspension cables near the top towers of the bridge.
“Although the bridge is demonstrating a type of movement expected for a cable-stay bridge, the breaks and movement were not observed in the last inspection in 2020,” WSDOT South Central Region Communications Manager Meagan Lott said.
The inspection is being performed by COWI North America, Inc., which specializes in cable bridge analysis and aerodynamics. The company will determine the scope of cable movement on the bridge and recommend an appropriate repair.
“While we don’t know the exact extent of repair needed, it is likely the repair will require a large-scale project and may even include replacement of individual cables on the bridge,” Lott said.
Inspection of the bridge started July 31 and will be complete by the end of September.
“At this time, the bridge remains safe for the traveling public and does not need to be closed,” Lott said.
MyCB photo by Dan Thesman
