The Battle for the Columbia River Crossing
A federal hearing reveals tensions between the State Highway Department's road plans and a private corporation's bid to span the Columbia.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Colonel W. L. Braden of the U.S. Engineering Corps conducted a hearing in Ellensburg regarding the Vantage Bridge Company's application to build a bridge across the Columbia River. The Washington State Highway Department protested the plan, arguing that the state's 1927 road program already included a publicly funded bridge at that location. However, Colonel Braden ruled that the highway department's objections were outside the scope of his inquiry, which was limited strictly to whether a private bridge would obstruct river navigation. The ruling signals a likely path forward for the private bridge project, provided the War Department raises no navigation concerns.
“The highway department must make a different showing or the war department could not withhold approval.”
The struggle between public infrastructure and private enterprise at Vantage remains a recurring theme in Washington's history, highlighting the long-term planning required to bridge the massive gaps created by the Columbia River.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.