North Bend Bridge | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 43°25′44″N124°13′19″W / 43.42889°N 124.22194°W |
Carries | US 101 |
Crosses | Coos Bay |
Locale | North Bend, Oregon |
Official name | Conde B. McCullough Memorial Bridge |
Maintained by | Oregon DOT |
Characteristics | |
Design | Cantilever through-truss |
Total length | 5,305 ft (1,617.0 m) |
Longest span | 793 ft (241.7 m) |
Clearance below | 150 ft (45.7 m) |
History | |
Opened | 1936 |
Location | |
North Bend Bridge No. 01823 | |
Built | 1934–36 [1] |
---|---|
MPS | McCullough, C. B., Major Oregon Coast Highway Bridges, 1927-1936 |
NRHP reference No. | 05000817 [1] |
Added to NRHP | August 5, 2005 [1] |
The Conde B. McCullough Memorial Bridge, is a cantilever bridge that spans the Coos Bay on U.S. Route 101 near North Bend, Oregon. When completed in 1936 it was named the North Bend Bridge. In 1947, it was renamed in honor of Conde B. McCullough who died on May 5, 1946. This and ten other major bridges on the Oregon Coast Highway were designed under his supervision.
The Conde B. McCullough Memorial Bridge replaced ferries that had formerly crossed the bay. The bridge is outstanding for its attention to form and detail, and has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its design and cultural and economic importance.
Work started on what was then called the North Bend Bridge on July 10, 1934. Glenn S. Paxson, Acting State Bridge Engineer while McCullough took a leave of absence to work on projects in Central America, was the supervising engineer during construction. The resident engineer was Raymond Archibald until 1935, when he joined McCullough, then Dexter R. Smith. The Northwest Roads Company of Portland, Oregon, built the piers and the concrete structure. The steel sections of the bridge were built by the Virginia Bridge and Iron Company. The main piers are supported on piles driven into the bay's bed. The main towers of the cantilever section were fabricated off-site and moved to the bridge site in four sections. Work on the cantilever arms moved out in both directions from the tower, with the shoreward arm keeping slightly ahead of the center arm so that it would rest on a temporary support structure to stabilize the bridge. The concrete arch sections were erected using timber falsework. The bridge opened in June 1936. [1]
When the bridge was completed in 1936, it was the longest bridge in Oregon. [2] It was the costliest of the Oregon Coast bridges at $2.14 million (equivalent to approximately $35 million in 2012 [3] ). Because the five largest bridges on the coastal route were so expensive, their construction was largely funded by the Public Works Administration. The North Bend Bridge was dedicated to its designer, Conde McCullough, in 1947. [1]
The McCullough Bridge was damaged on December 4, 1986, when a Swedish ship, the Elgaren, struck the bottom of the center span. The ship was entering the harbor on a day when the tide was 3 feet (0.91 m) above normal, and was unable to lower a vertically stowed ramp in time after the ramp's mechanism malfunctioned. The bridge was closed for repairs. [1]
Because of the long spans and heavily trafficked shipping channel, a cantilever construction was deemed most suitable; a draw span was rejected because it would have to be opened too often. Consequently, the 793-foot (242 m) main span has 145 feet (44 m) of vertical clearance and is part of a 1,708-foot-long (521 m) steel cantilever span. The overall length, including the concrete approach spans, is 5,305 feet (1,617 m). The approach spans are concrete arches more typical of McCullough's designs. [4] The main roadway is 27 feet (8.2 m) wide with 3.5-foot-wide (1.1 m) sidewalks on either side. The main towers rise 280 feet (85 m) above the water surface, with curved sway bracing in a Gothic arch style. The open-spandrel concrete approach arches vary in span from 265 feet (81 m) to 151 feet (46 m). The ends of the bridge are marked by pedestrian plazas meant to provide a viewing point for the bridge and to provide access to the shoreline. These plazas are detailed with Art Moderne motifs and are provided with built-in benches. The stairs descend in sweeping curves to the park below. [1]
The city of North Bend, Oregon, uses images of the bridge extensively in public relations material. The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 5, 2005. [1]
The Oregon City Bridge, also known as the Arch Bridge, is a steel through arch bridge spanning the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon, United States. Completed in 1922, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built and is owned by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) as part of Oregon Route 43 and is the third-southernmost Willamette bridge in the Portland metropolitan area, after the Boone Bridge in Wilsonville and the Oregon 219 bridge near Newberg.
The Alsea Bay Bridge is a concrete arch bridge that spans the Alsea Bay on U.S. Route 101 (US 101) near Waldport, Oregon.
The Yaquina Bay Bridge is an arch bridge that spans Yaquina Bay south of Newport, Oregon. It is one of the most recognizable of the U.S. Route 101 bridges designed by Conde McCullough and one of eleven major bridges on the Oregon Coast Highway designed by him. It superseded the last ferry crossing on the highway.
The Siuslaw River Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Siuslaw River on U.S. Route 101 in Florence, Oregon. It was designed by Conde McCullough, built by the Mercer-Fraser Company of Eureka, California, and funded by the Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works. It opened in 1936.
The Big Creek Bridge is a bowstring arch bridge that spans Big Creek on U.S. Route 101 in Lane County, Oregon. It was designed by Conde McCullough and opened in 1931.
The Umpqua River Bridge is a swing-span bridge that spans the Umpqua River in Reedsport, Oregon. It consists of a central swing span flanked by two reinforced concrete arches on each end. The swing span was necessary to accommodate tall sailing vessels which were common on the Umpqua River. The final cost of the bridge was $510,500.
Conde Balcom McCullough was an American civil engineer who is primarily known for designing many of Oregon's coastal bridges on U.S. Route 101. The native of South Dakota worked for the Oregon Department of Transportation from 1919 to 1935 and 1937 until he died in 1946. McCullough also was a professor at Oregon State University.
U.S. Route 101 (US 101), is a major north–south U.S. Highway in Oregon that runs through the state along the western Oregon coastline near the Pacific Ocean. It runs from the California border, south of Brookings, to the Washington state line on the Columbia River, between Astoria, Oregon, and Megler, Washington.
The John McLoughlin Bridge is a tied-arch bridge that spans the Clackamas River between Oregon City and Gladstone, Oregon, in the northwest United States. It was designed by Conde McCullough, and named for Dr. John McLoughlin.
The Crooked River High Bridge is a steel arch bridge that spans the Crooked River gorge in Jefferson County, Oregon. The bridge was designed by Conde McCullough and was completed in 1926. Shortly after its completion, Oregon State Highway Division created the Peter Skene Ogden Park just to the south of the bridge.
The Lewis and Clark River Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Lewis and Clark River on U.S. Route 101 Business in Clatsop County, Oregon. It was designed by Conde McCullough and opened in 1925. It was built to replace an earlier bridge at the same location, a swing-span bridge constructed around 1910.
Cape Creek Bridge is an arch bridge that spans Cape Creek in Lane County, Oregon, United States. The bridge carries U.S. Route 101. Opened in 1932, it was designed by noted bridge engineer Conde McCullough and built of reinforced concrete by John K. Holt. The total length of the bridge is 619 feet (189 m), with a main span of 220 feet (67 m). The bridge resembles a Roman aqueduct, with a single parabolic arch that spans half its length. It was listed as Cape Creek Bridge No. 01113 on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, as part of the C. B. McCullough Major Oregon Coast Highway Bridges MPS.
The Isaac Lee Patterson Bridge, also known as the Rogue River Bridge and the Isaac Lee Patterson Memorial Bridge, is a concrete arch bridge that spans the Rogue River in Curry County, Oregon. The bridge was constructed by the Mercer Fraser Company of Eureka, California. The bridge carries U.S. Route 101 across the river, near the point where the river empties into the Pacific Ocean, and connects the towns of Gold Beach and Wedderburn. A bridge with strong Art Deco influences, the Isaac Lee Patterson Bridge is a prominent example of the designs of the Oregon bridge designer and highway engineer Conde McCullough. It was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1982. It is part of a series of notable bridges designed by McCullough for the Oregon Coast Highway in the 1930s. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
The Ellsworth Street Bridge is a highway bridge that crosses the Willamette River in Albany, Oregon, United States. Built in 1925, the two-lane structure carries U.S. Route 20 eastbound traffic, with the adjacent Lyon Street Bridge carrying westbound traffic. The 1,090-foot-long (330 m) steel truss bridge was designed by Conde McCullough and opened in 1926.
Wilson River Bridge, also known as Wilson River Bridge at Tillamook or Wilson River Bridge No. 01499, is a bridge near Tillamook, Oregon, United States. The 1931 bridge was designed by Conde McCullough in the Classical Revival and Art Deco styles. It covers a span of 180 feet (55 m) and brings coastal U.S. Route 101 (US 101) over the Wilson River.
Ten Mile Creek Bridge is a Conde McCullough-designed bridge near Yachats in Lane County in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
The Old Youngs Bay Bridge is a bascule bridge across Youngs Bay in Astoria, Oregon, completed in 1921. Conde McCullough was responsible for designing this bridge, his first for Oregon.
The Gibraltar Road–Waterway Canal Bridge is a bridge located on Gibraltar Road over the Waterway Canal in Gibraltar, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.
The Depoe Bay Bridge is one of a series of significant bridges along the Oregon Coast Highway. The concrete arch bridge spans the mouth of Depoe Bay at milepost 127.61 with a 150-foot (46 m) main span, and a total length of 312 feet (95 m). The bridge's designer was Conde McCullough who designed all of the 1920s bridges on the highway. The original bridge, completed in 1927, was only 18 feet (5.5 m) wide from curb to curb with no sidewalks, and was widened in 1940 with a similar arched concrete bridge immediately adjacent to the original. The added structure is sympathetic to the original and is included in the National Register of Historic Places listing.
Rocky Creek Bridge No. 01089, also known as Ben Jones Bridge, is a concrete highway bridge spanning Rocky Creek along the Pacific Ocean coast of the U.S. state of Oregon. The bridge crosses a gorge near the creek's mouth, about 2 miles (3 km) south of Depoe Bay in Lincoln County. Built in 1927, the bridge originally carried U.S. Route 101 over the creek. After a stretch of the highway was relocated to make it straighter, the abandoned piece of the old highway became Otter Crest Loop Road, a local road west of the new highway.