High water event lifted Pine Street pedestrian bridge; city to inspect abutments before repairs

Public Works Director Sean Wells updated Pullman City Council on a high‑water event that affected the Pine Street pedestrian bridge on Feb. 23, explaining the structure lifted and pivoted as it was designed but is now off its foundations and will require inspection before any repairs.

“The high water event… the South Fork Lapwai River wound up peaking at 7.64 feet at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday night,” Wells said. He told the council that the bridge, which was built in February 2005, was designed to lift and pivot during major flooding; during the Feb. 23 event it lifted and “is sitting about 8 to 10 feet off of its foundation supports” and likely shifted between about 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. that evening.

Wells said the bridge behaved in the way it was intended to in extreme flows and that staff plan to investigate the abutments and the bridge to determine whether it is reusable. “If it is, that might be the best case scenario. We can get in with possibly a crane, pick it up, put it back where it was,” he said. Wells added staff are cautious about immediate repairs because additional high‑water events are possible in spring.

When Council member Weller asked whether nearby structures or bank areas sustained damage, Wells said crews did not observe other structural damage at the bridge site. He reported only minor culvert erosion at a few locations and characterized those as flash‑down‑the‑street, minor erosion issues.

Wells told council that if the bridge or abutments require replacement, staff would return to the council for decisions on replacement options and funding.