Richland celebrates groundbreaking of Duportail Bridge

In the next few years, Richland will have a new bridge that has been decades in the making.

Project Manager Julie West said at the Duportail Bridge groundbreaking Wednesday, it will connect the waterfront and the Queensgate area for drivers, walkers and bikers.

"This is phase one of two phases, so we will have phase two that will start here in a couple years, toward the end of phase one. Our hope is the whole corridor will be done within approximately three years, but the bridge will be done in about 2 1/2," says West.

It is a $37 million dollar investment paid for by a $20 car tab fee now in place for those in Richland, $20 million from Connecting Washington Program, and the Transportation Improvement Board which gave $9 million, as well as other investments from the city and federal government.

The bridge will connect Duportail Street off 240 to Duportail Street near the new Panera Bread in the Queensgate area.

City leaders say they plan to constantly post information about the progress of the bridge on the city website and will have several time-lapse cameras record the project.