Washington’s Umtanum Suspension Bridge Earns International Honor
A century-old suspension bridge in Washington’s Yakima River Canyon has earned international recognition following a major rehabilitation effort.
The Bureau of Land Management’s Umtanum Suspension Bridge project — designed with engineering support from HDR, a global professional services firm specializing in architecture, engineering, environmental and construction services — won the New Life category at the 2025 Footbridge Awards in Chur, Switzerland. The awards are organized and sponsored by Bridge Design & Engineering magazine.
Built around 1925, the 220-foot bridge once carried vehicles, including Model Ts, across the Yakima River and Northern Pacific railroad tracks. Today, it spans Washington’s only Blue-Ribbon trout stream and serves as the sole access point to the west side of the 27-mile canyon, accommodating more than 100,000 hikers, anglers, and visitors each year.
By the 2010s, weather and age had left the bridge in poor condition. With no original plans available, HDR engineers conducted rope-and-ladder inspections, detailed surveys, and advanced modeling to design a restoration that preserved the bridge’s historic character while strengthening it for long-term use. Construction wrapped in 2021, finishing on schedule and within the $800,000 budget despite pandemic-era supply chain challenges.
Award jurors praised the project for giving new life to a historic structure while improving safety and access. For the BLM, the honor highlights the agency’s ongoing work to protect cultural resources and expand sustainable recreation across public lands.
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