The Spokane River has always played a significant role in the history of urban development in Spokane and as a result so too have our bridges. Whether for auto, streetcars, trains, or pedestrians our city has been gifted with some of the most dramatic settings for bridges any structural engineer or photographer could hope for.
In fact, most of what makes Spokane's bridges dramatic often goes unnoticed to the everyday user simply because the structure to support lies underneath; few suspension bridges exist. Instead, we're blessed with massive concrete arches and pilings that appear almost cathedral-like when standing below. Though they usually serve to connect people and activities, in some cases-like the nearly built Lincoln Street Bridge-they can divide a community. Long ago cancelled, the Lincoln Street Bridge was seen by many leaders in Spokane as critical to Downtown's long-term success. Fortunately for downtown, this was one time some leaders didn't get their way.
We set out some time back to quantify for you the variety and beauty of our bridges, both modern and historic. While we haven't captured all of them, we have pulled together a pretty good sampling. We'll leave it up to you to get out of your car and see the rest of them in person.
The only bridge that may be missing from your outstanding collection was the once lauded Trent crossing over the Spokane river by the new Gonzaga Baseball Stadium. I remember when I first moved here the bridge was supposed to be "award winning" and "innovative in design," yet when I drive across it, I find it to be just any other bridge.
Posted by: HCNate | July 17, 2006 at 08:51 PM
HC-
Agreed. It has some nicely styled decoration and is an alright place for pedestrians, but it was designed for maximum throughput and speed. That route through Riverpoint still resembles more an Indy 500 course than anything else.
Posted by: METROSPOKANE | July 17, 2006 at 11:36 PM