Engineering Inc. - November/December 2006 - 26

M U LT I - P R O J E C T FEATURE Historic Bridge Restored to Its Past Glory
David Evans and Associates F or seven years, Ste- A t the time, the
majestic guide them. It was built at a the public. This meant devising p h
e n J. Shrope of Monroe Street Bridge was the time when reinforced concrete
a major public relations cam- David Evans and largest concrete arch bridge
in was in its infancy. They also paign to promote the project Associates,
felt the the nation and the third largest didn't know the full extent of
and organizing numerous pub- eyes of three gen- in the world. But by the
1990s, the deterioration they would lic forums. e r a t i o n s of family
members this city icon was falling apart, uncover once construction Since
the bridge spanned upon him. and if something wasn't done started. They
discovered large the Spokane River, there also For him, the design of the
soon it probably would have to amounts of rock and other were
environmental concerns. rehabilitation of an historic be closed within
five years. materials including large steel A complex system of platforms
bridge that was crumbling in An $18 million rehabilita- tie bars and other
pieces of had to be constantly reconfig- his hometown of Spokane, tion
project started in 1998 and metal from the previous bridge ured below the
bridge to catch Wash., was much more than it came with numerous chal- that
simply had been thrown falling debris. just another engineering proj-
lenges, including how to repair into the concrete during con- These days,
the actual design ect. It was personal. the dilapidated structure while s
t r u c t i o n . This meant some of a bridge is easy compared to B o t h
sets of my grand- saving its historic elements. portions of the bridge had
to the environmental permitting, p a re n t s could have been at Working
with state and federal be repaired beyond what was public interaction and
approv- the bridge when it opened in historic preservation authori-
originally anticipated. als that are necessary, Shrope 1911, says Shrope.
ties, a plan was formulated that Other challenges were more says. would
repair and retain the typical of those found in any The bridge reopened in
Sep- bridge's signature main arches large transportation project, tember
2005 with an elaborate and huge piers while replacing says Shrope. The
bridge, which three-day celebration. Shrope all of the deteriorating
struc- connects the north and south calls it the project of a lifetime
ture above, including the bridge sections of the city, was a major and is
proud that future gen- deck and spandrel columns. thoroughfare used by
25,000 erations of his family will know B e c a u s e the bridge was
vehicles a day. Plans to shut it that one of their own played a almost 100
years old, Shrope down for nearly three years of vital role in restoring
their city's and his team had very little construction could not be made
main landmark to its former documentation available to without extensive
input from glory. stephen J. shrope Historic preservation played a key
role in the $18 million rehabilitation project. 26 ENGINEERING INC.
NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2006
Engineering Inc. - November/December 2006

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