Monroe Street Bridge

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**Monroe Street Bridge**
Crosses	Spokane River
Locale	Spokane, Washington
Design	Reinforced concrete deck arch bridge
Longest span	281 ft (85.6 m)
Total length	896 ft (273 m)
Width	50 ft (15 m) wide roadway and 9 ft (2.7 m) wide sidewalks
Opening date	1911

Monroe Street Bridge is a deck arch bridge that spans the Spokane River in Spokane, Washington. The bridge was the largest concrete-arch bridge in the United States at the time it was built. It was built in 1911 by the city of Spokane and was designed by John Chester Ralston.

The current bridge is actually the third bridge in this location. The first bridge, a rather rickety wooden structure, was built in 1889. The bridge burned down in 1890 and was replaced with a steel bridge. The second bridge vibrated badly and had a noticeable dip in the center. A consultant from the Good Roads Movement considered the bridge unsafe in 1905. The design of the third bridge was largely copied from the Rocky River Bridge in Cleveland, Ohio, but was built one foot longer to make it the largest concrete arch in the United States at the time. The bridge was designed with ornamental features such as bison skulls, covered pavilions, and a chain-link railing motif.

The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. By the 1990s, the current bridge had deteriorated to the point where rebuilding it was necessary. In January 2003, the bridge was closed for restoration, dismantled down to the central arch, and rebuilt faithfully to the original appearance. The bridge was reopened in 2005 and continues to provide excellent views of Spokane Falls.

[edit] References

Arksey, Laura (2006). Spokane's third Monroe Street Bridge, the historic concrete-arch bridge, opens on November 23, 1911.. HistoryLink. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.

Cannata, Amy (2005). Nearly a Century Old, the Monroe Street Bridge Reopens This Weekend, Sturdy Enough to Carry Us for the Next 75 Years. Spokane.net. Spokane Spokesman-Review. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.

Monroe Street Bridge. City-County of Spokane Historic Preservation Office (2005). Retrieved on 2006-09-12.

Moyano, David C., P.E., S.E., M.ASCE; Stephen J. Shrope, P.E., S.E., M.ASCE (2006). Past Perfect. Civil Engineering Magazine. American Society of Civil Engineers. Retrieved on 2006-09-12.