Cable Bridge

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The Cable Bridge, officially called the Ed Hendler Bridge, spans the Columbia River between Pasco and Kennewick in southeastern Washington as Washington State Route 397. It was constructed in 1978 and replaced an earlier span built in 1914 (that earlier structure was demolished in 1994 and 1995). The bridge is one of three bridge structures in the Tri-Cities area, the Pioneer Memorial Bridge, another Pasco/Kennewick bridge, and the Lee-Volpentest bridges, that connect Pasco with Richland, WA, are the others. Another span, one linking Edison Street in Kennewick with Road 68 in Pasco, is in the planning stages, although funding has yet to be obtained.

The bridge is the first in the United States to use a 'cable-stayed' design and is constructed almost entirely of prestressed concrete. The bridge towers were constructed first, with the bridge deck, which was cast in individual segments, raised up and secured to each other.

The bridge was named after Ed Hendler, a Pasco, Washington insurance salesman who headed up the committee responsible for obtaining the funding for construction of the bridge. Hendler died in August of 2001.

A controversial feature of the bridge was added in 1998, when lights were added to illuminate the bridge at night. Many thought this was unnecessary and a waste of both electricity and money. During a power crisis in 2000, the lights were turned off, but they were turned on for one night to honor Hendler's passing. Now the lights are turned on at night, and turned off at 2am.

[edit] The bridge as a status symbol

The Cable Bridge, from the time of its opening, has proved to be a popular landmark in the Tri-City area, so much so it has become an unofficial symbol of the area. Every January, an event known as the Cable Bridge Run, a 10-kilometer foot race, starts at the Kennewick end of the bridge.

Also at the Kennewick end of the bridge is the world corporate headquarters of Lampson Inc., which specializes in large, portable construction cranes. At the foot of this end is the Tri-Cities Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which has engraved on it the names of the area's dead. The remaining pier of the Green Bridge, which was replaced by the Cable Bridge, now serves as a scenic lookout, from which one can view the more recent bridge.