WENATCHEE – The Beebe bridge is scheduled to reopen to foot traffic Sept. 8, but could remain closed to vehicles for several more weeks after being damaged in a fatal truck crash.
     The bridge has been closed since being damaged in an Aug. 31 crash that killed tractor-trailer driver Kathleen L. Walker, 48, Olympia.
     A body believed to be that of passenger Peter D. Wooley, 60, Olympia, was found in the Columbia River on Sept. 5.
     Through traffic on U.S. Highway 97 is being routed through Chelan via state Highway 150 at Chelan Falls and U.S. Highway 97A between Chelan and Wenatchee. The closest bridges across the Columbia are in Wenatchee and Brewster.
     Bridge trusses and support beams were severely damaged in the crash, state Department of Transportation spokesman Jeff Adamson said.
     “A portion of the bridge deck is noticeably sagging” where the truck damaged the bridge rail and steel trusses, Adamson said. “No heavy equipment or vehicles can be allowed on the bridge deck for the initial stabilization work due to the extent of the damage.”
     DOT bridge crews completed emergency stabilization work Sept. 4, but the structure still won’t support heavy equipment. More stabilization will be done by contract bridge specialty firm KLM Construction, which DOT hired to make the permanent repairs, Adamson said.
     The DOT Bridge Office in Olympia is working around the clock on the design and work plans, he said.
     “Our immediate goal is to get the bridge open as soon as possible for bicycles and pedestrians,” said DOT Project Engineer Brantley Bain said. “We know folks in both (Douglas and Chelan) counties commute daily across the bridge and this closure has had a tremendous impact on their lives.”
     DOT is coordinating with the Lake Chelan School District, LINK and the Chelan County PUD Parks on both shores to provide parking and transportation.
     Pedestrians can use the bridge in single-file groups of up to a dozen people from 6-8:30 a.m., noon to 1 p.m. and 3:30-9 p.m., Bain said.
     Initially, LINK will provide bus service to downtown Chelan every half-hour during the hours the bridge is open to pedestrians.
     Once stabilization is complete, KLM will begin replacing the damaged trusses.
     Parts will be fabricated off site.
     "One of the biggest challenges we face is replacement of a diagonal member that was severely bent in the crash,” Bain said. “That beam is effectively carrying half the load of the entire bridge.”
     Temporary supports will be needed on both sides of the damaged member, he said.
     “Once that’s done, they’ll remove half of it and splice in a new section," said Bain.
     He said that work will be slow and tedious since constant measurements will have to be taken at several locations to ensure the truss is behaving as anticipated. A crane and possibly barges may have to be brought in to accomplish the work.
     “We’ll all be working seven days a week until it’s finished,” said Bain.