The Monroe Street Bridge in Downtown Spokane, Washington, USA

The Monroe Street Bridge (Fig. 1) in downtown Spokane, Washington, has provided a critical north–south traffic link for travelers since 1911. Although there are several river crossings in the city, traffic on Monroe Street is heavy with 25 000 vehicles and approxima tely 650 bus crossings per day. In 1998, a study estimated that the bridge would require load postings or possibly closure within 5 years unless bridge rehabilitations were done. In 2001, the superstructure rehabilitation project was launched.