Next Major Step in Massive Cashmere Bridge Replacement Project Set to Begin

The next major step in the West Cashmere Bridge Replacement Project is about to start with 20 large girders set to be put in place after Labor Day.

Girders are large, steel beams that'll support the bridge deck, and the traffic that will eventually use the bridge. They range in length and weight, with the largest weighing more than 100,000 pounds.

Jill FitzSimmons with Chelan County says the new bridge is essential for safety because it allows travel to any part of Cashmere without having to cross railroad tracks.

"If there were to be a wildfire in that area, it would be the only unobstructed way to out of town, because it goes over the railroad, rather than having to stop at a railroad crossing," said FitzSimmons. "

The contractor will build the concrete bridge deck after the girders are set in place, which could take several months.

The old West Cashmere Bridge was almost 100 years old and its replacement is the largest construction project ever taken on by Chelan County. County engineers say if it weren't replaced, the bridge would have been permanently closed over safety issues in 2022.

FitzSimmons says the $25 million project likely won't be finished and ready to open until the spring.