Photo: Columbia River Bridge 2009
The bridge consists of nine through-truss spans, six on the Pasco side and three on the Kennewick side, with a vertical lift span in the middle. Originally the bridge featured a drawspan. The total length of the bridge was 2,587 feet. In mid July 1888 the last span was put in place and the Columbia River bridge was completed shortly after.
The bridge has been substantially rebuilt with a vertical lift section replacing the original drawspan. The bridge is still in daily use by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad.
A complete history of the building of this structure can be found at The Free Online Encyclopedia of Washington State History (HistoryLink.org).
Nearby a historic plaque shares some additional history for this railroad bridge.