Chelan County Public Works Urges Public to Stay Away From Still Uncompleted Bridge

Chelan County Public Works is asking the public to stay away from the new West Cashmere Bridge.

Construction is not complete, but Public Works says its contractor reports seeing pedestrians, bicyclists and even drivers trying to cross the bridge while they're still working.

A social media posting from the agency says it promises to let an "excited" public know when the bridge opens, which is now targeted for next week.

The $27 million Cashmere Bridge Replacement is the biggest road project ever undertaken by Chelan County, with much of the funding coming from state and federal sources.

The previous bridge was built in 1929 and has been failing for some time.

County engineers say if it weren't replaced, the bridge would have been permanently closed over safety issues in 2022.

The bridge has gone through some major stages during its construction process.

Twenty large girders set to be put in place in the fall of last year. Girders are large, steel beams that support the bridge deck, and the traffic that uses the bridge. They range in length and weight, with the largest weighing more than 100,000 pounds.

The actual bridge deck was installed later.