Blue Bridge (Washington)

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The Blue Bridge (officially named the Pioneer Memorial Bridge) is a four-lane bridge connecting Pasco, Washington to Kennewick. U.S. Highway 395 crosses the Columbia River through this bridge. It gets its name, innovatively enough, from the blue paint used on the suspension beams. It is one of three bridges connecting Pasco to the other members of the Tri-Cities of Washington (Kennewick and Richland), along with the Cable Bridge to the east and the Interstate 182 bridge from Richland to the northwest. There is a United States flag on top of the bridge.

The Blue Bridge is home to the most car accidents in the entire Tri-Cities area, with one occurring almost every three days. During rush hour, the junction of U.S Route 395 and Washington State Route 240 on the south side of the bridge is especially crowded. Late in 2005, it was announced that funding had been obtained in order to remedy the situation, by modifiying the approaches and exits to the bridge, especially at the Highway 395 southbound exit on the Kennewick side of the bridge.