Dedication to be Held for Historic Bridge Being Repurposed to Connect Biking/Hiking Trail

The historic Beverly Bridge just south of Vantage will have a dedication ceremony Friday for its newly completed restoration.

The Washington State Parks Foundation calls the bridge that spans the Columbia River an amazingly impressive structure.

The restoration process included the replacement of railroad tracks with a deck for pedestrians and bicycles, which is connecting to the 289-mile Palouse to Cascades Trail.

It'll connect the eastern and western halves of the trail, which runs from the Idaho border to just outside of Seattle and is one of the longest such trails in the country.

The bridge restoration project cost $5.5 million to complete.

The dedication for the bridge takes place at 1 Friday afternoon, and will feature a welcome from Johnny Buck of the Wanapum tribe.

Community members from across the state are expected to attend the ceremony, which will end with the , the local Mattaw High School Band leading a march across the bridge.

The Benerly Bridge is more than 100 years old. It was constructed by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1909 during its Pacific Extension.