U.S. 12 Snake River Bridge to Walla Walla Scenic Byway

Wallula, Walla Walla County, Washington. State Scenic Byway.

Details

Map. Wallula, Walla Walla County, Washington. Larger map

Where: Wallula, Walla Walla County, WA. No street address stated. Directions
Getting there: Beginning at the junction with state route number 124 in the vicinity of the Tri-Cities, thence easterly through Wallula and Touchet to a junction with a county road approximately 2.4 miles west of a junction with state route number 129 at Clarkston;.
Access: Only a 45-minute scenic drive from Walla Walla, the route begins by following the shores of the majestic Columbia River as it passes through the 14,600-acre McNary National Wildlife Refuge, before heading east along Highway 12 through the fertile Walla Walla River valley.
Website: scenicbyways.info
Managed by: Department of transportation.
Established: 1967.

Roughly 30-mile state scenic byway in Washington, traversing US 12 from the Snake River bridge area to Walla Walla.

1805The Corps of Discovery camped just south of Wallula on their way to the Pacific Ocean. hmdb.org
1806After leaving their camp above the mouth of the Walla Walla River, the Corps of Discovery crossed a sandy plain and made camp near the Touchet River. hmdb.org
1871Construction of the first Pacific Northwest railroad of any length began at Wallula. hmdb.org
1921The bridge was dedicated, replacing an unreliable ferry service between Walla Walla and Franklin Counties. historylink.org
1927The toll was removed and the bridge was resurfaced with wooden planking and asphalt. historylink.org
1949A temporary Army pontoon bridge opened for traffic across the Snake. historylink.org
1949The Snake River Bridge near Burbank, connecting Franklin and Walla Walla counties, caught fire; state highway officials declared it a total loss. historylink.org
1950The General Construction Company of Portland began a new bridge on April 17, 1950, and completed it on June 24, 1952. historylink.org
1953With the construction of McNary Dam, both earlier town sites of Wallula were inundated by Lake Wallula. hmdb.org
2003Since 2003, WSDOT and the US Highway 12 Coalition have made progress toward widening US 12 from two to four lanes between the Snake River near Burbank and Walla Walla. wsdot.wa.gov

Harold C. Winn, Chief of the Walla Walla County Fire Department; directed the firefighting when the bridge burned.
Yelleppit, Wallulapum chief who hosted Lewis and Clark at his village near the confluence of the Walla Walla River.