15-659: The Snake River Bridge (also known as the Lyons Ferry Bridge ), is located on State Route 261 at the confluence of the Snake and Palouse Rivers , near Starbuck, Washington , USA. The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and is located next to Lyons Ferry Park . It was originally constructed in 1927 and known as the Vantage Ferry Bridge, where it carried
30-546: A new four-lane bridge . The old bridge was dismantled and put into storage. Meanwhile, at Lyons Ferry, crossings of the Snake River were done by ferry, but the construction of the Lower Monumental Dam caused the river to slow, thus increasing crossing time. State officials then decided to reconstruct this bridge at that location. Washington State Route 261 State Route 261 ( SR 261 )
45-399: A series of surveys on its highways in the state to measure traffic volume. This is expressed in terms of annual average daily traffic (AADT), which is a measure of traffic volume for any average day of the year. In 2011, WSDOT calculated that between 300 and 3,000 vehicles per day used the highway, mostly between Washtucna and Ritzville. The Mullan Road was constructed in 1862 and crossed
60-657: Is a 62.71-mile-long (100.92 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Washington . Serving Columbia , Franklin , and Adams counties, the highway begins at U.S. Route 12 (US 12) east of Starbuck and becomes concurrent with SR 260 from Kahlotus to SR 26 in Washtucna before ending at Interstate 90 (I-90) and US 395 in Ritzville . The highway has been legislated since 1937 from Ritzville to Washtucna as Secondary State Highway 11E ( SSH 11E ) and in 1957 from Washtucna to
75-466: The National Register of Historic Places in 1982, finished the highway. Lyons Ferry Park Lyons Ferry State Park is a public recreation area located near the confluence of the Snake and Palouse rivers, seven miles (11 km) northwest of Starbuck , Washington . The state park is on Route 261 , abreast of Lake Herbert G. West , a reservoir on the Snake River created with
90-633: The North Central Highway over the Columbia River in Vantage , replacing a four-car ferry . By 1923, the ferry was transporting 50,000 people across the river annually, and it was clear that a bridge was needed to replace it. Originally planned to be a privately constructed toll bridge , it was strongly opposed by Washington Governor Louis F. Hart because it would be a toll bridge on a taxpayer-supported highway. Not only that, but
105-558: The Snake River with a ferry crossing at Lyons Ferry until the construction of the Lower Monumental Dam downstream caused the water level to rise and longer wait times, resulting in the reconstruction of the Snake River Bridge . The current route of SR 261 from Washtucna to Ritzville was designated during the creation of the Primary and secondary state highways in 1937 as SSH 11E. A branch of SSH 11B
120-675: The Pataha Creek and turns west, paralleling the Tucannon River through Starbuck and to the south bank of the Snake River . The highway passes over a rail bridge owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation before turning northwest and crossing the steel cantilever Snake River Bridge , listed on the National Register of Historic Places , into Franklin County near Lyons Ferry Park . At
135-577: The Starbuck area as a branch of SSH 11B . The two secondary highways became SR 261 during the 1964 highway renumbering , and a gap between Washtucna and Starbuck was not paved until the construction of the Snake River Bridge was completed in 1968. SR 261 begins its 62.71-mile-long (100.92 km) route at an intersection with US 12 east of the town of Starbuck in rural Columbia County . The roadway travels north over
150-615: The construction in the 1960s of the Lower Monumental Dam some 17 miles (27 km) downstream. The park offers facilities for boating, fishing, and swimming. The area is managed cooperatively by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , which operates the Lyons Ferry Marina. The park bears the name of the Snake River ferry service, which ceased operations in 1968 after more than 100 years of service when it
165-629: The eastern terminus of SR 260, after the Columbia Plateau Trail turns east. SR 261 continues north into farmland and crosses the John Wayne Pioneer Trail in Ralston before its northern terminus at a diamond interchange with I-90 and US 395 southeast of Ritzville , becoming Division Street as it serves the city. Every year, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) conducts
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#1732793025495180-670: The north end of the bridge, SR 261 continues northwest, passing under a Union Pacific Railroad bridge and near Palouse Falls State Park , before crossing the Columbia Plateau Trail and intersecting SR 260 northeast of Kahlotus . A concurrency with SR 260 travels northeast into Adams County parallel to the Columbia Plateau Trail in the Palouse before entering Washtucna and being designated as Main Street. Main Street intersects SR 26 , forming
195-545: The state also stood to lose $ 900,000 in federal funds for the North Central Highway if a toll bridge were to be built. Instead, the state approved funding for its own bridge. However, the construction of the Wanapum Dam downriver of the bridge in the 1960s flooded the town of Vantage, and state officials decided to replace the existing two-lane bridge, which had become unsafe for high volume traffic, with
210-448: Was added in 1957 that extended from Washtunca to US 410 , later an extension of US 12 , east of Starbuck with an un-built bridge over the Snake River at Lyons Ferry. Both highways became SR 261 during the 1964 highway renumbering , but the section between Starbuck and Washtucna was not paved. The completion of the Snake River Bridge in 1968, using the dismantled steel cantilevered Vantage Bridge and listed onto
225-440: Was replaced with the Snake River Bridge . The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began park construction in 1969, then leased the site to the state in 1971. It operated as a state park from 1971 until 2002, when the lease was relinquished by the state due to budget constraints. The Army Corps of Engineers operated the property as Lyons Ferry Park and Lyons Ferry Marina until 2015, when it returned to Washington State Park status with
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