The current bridge is the second Vantage Bridge. The first was built in 1927 as part of the Sunset Highway (later US 10), a precursor to I-90. In 1962 the second bridge was built because the reservoir pool backing up behind the new Wanapum Dam would soon overwhelm the old bridge; it was dedicated by the state on November 9, 1962.[2] The first bridge was dismantled for reuse. The steel cantilever truss was reused for the Lyons Ferry Bridge, which opened in 1968 to carry SR 261 across the Snake River.[3]
The bridge deck is scheduled to be replaced between 2024 and 2027 with seasonal lane closures. It is the first major overhaul since 1982.[4]
References
^"Bridge List M 23-09"(PDF). Washington State Department of Transportation. June 2011. p. 191. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
^"State Dedicates Vantage Bridge". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. November 9, 1962. p. 5.
^Dorpat, Paul; Genevieve McCoy (1998). Building Washington: A History of Washington State Public Works. Tartu Publications. p. 114. ISBN0-9614357-9-8.