OLYMPIA…Sen. Linda Evans Parlette, R-Wenatchee, is calling for consideration of a pedestrian bridge alongside the Beebe Bridge over the Columbia River on U.S. Highway 97, a move she says would make the crossing safer for pedestrians and bicyclists that use the bridge.

The Beebe Bridge, opened in 1963 and retrofitted in 2000, was heavily damaged last week when a tractor-trailer rig crashed into it mid-span. Two people died in the crash. The fatal accident destroyed a vertical support girder and seriously damaged the beams that hold the bridge’s weight. The state Department of Transportation is concerned about the stability of the bridge, which may be closed to vehicle traffic for several weeks.

“This tragic accident is cause for us to take another look at safety on the Beebe Bridge,” said Parlette. “This is a very important passage across the Columbia River, not only for the nearly 5,000 vehicles that cross it every day, but also for pedestrians and bicyclists. The sidewalks on the bridge are very narrow. 

“The reality of what happened here presents us with an opportunity to look at ways we can get pedestrians and bicyclists across the river more safely and in a more user-friendly fashion. The Department of Transportation has been working very hard over the past week and through the holiday weekend to analyze the situation on the bridge and decide the best way forward. I am hopeful that part of the discussion might include a long-term way to increase pedestrian safety at this important river crossing.”

Parlette pointed to the Sa Teekh Wa cable-stayed suspension footbridge across the Chewuch River near Winthrop and the Tawlks-Foster suspension bridge over the Methow River near Mazama, saying the state, perhaps working with biking and hiking enthusiasts, may want to consider something similar at the Beebe Bridge location.