Oregon City Bridge

Last updated
Oregon City Bridge
Oregon City Bridge wide view from fishing dock (2013) - 1.jpg
Coordinates 45°21′33″N122°36′35″W / 45.3591°N 122.6097°W / 45.3591; -122.6097
CarriesOR 43.svg OR 43
Crosses Willamette River
Locale Oregon City to
West Linn, Oregon,
United States
Maintained by Oregon DOT
Characteristics
Design through arch of hollow
box girder construction
Total length745 ft (227 m)
Longest span360 ft (110 m)
History
OpenedDecember 28, 1922
Willamette River Bridge (No. 357)
Oregon City OR - OpenStreetMap.png
Red pog.svg
USA Oregon location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location Oregon City, Oregon; Willamette River at river mile 26.0
Built1922
Architect Conde B. McCullough
NRHP reference No. 05000639 [1]
Added to NRHPJuly 1, 2005 [1]
Location
Oregon City Bridge

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. [2] 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.

Contents

The bridge is 745 ft (227 m) in length and 28 ft (8½ m) wide with a 360 ft (110 m) long main span that provides 49 ft (15 m) of vertical clearance at low river levels. The narrow width causes problems for large vehicles that cross it, often requiring traffic going in the other direction to stop. TriMet buses ceased using the bridge in 2009.

This bridge is the only Oregon bridge to be encased in gunite, which protects it from corrosive sulfur dioxide emissions from paper mills south of the bridge. The concrete look was favored by bridge designer Conde McCullough, designer of 500 Oregon bridges. His signature detailing is evident in the obelisk pylons with sconced light fixtures, ornate railings, and Art Deco piers. [3]

The Oregon City Bridge is just downstream from the 40 ft (12 m) tall Willamette Falls and the Willamette Falls Locks, the oldest navigational locks in the United States. Downstream from this bridge is the George Abernethy Bridge, which carries Interstate 205.

History

Original bridge as depicted in Frances Fuller Victor's Atlantis Arisen (1891). Oregon City from Atlantis Arisen.png
Original bridge as depicted in Frances Fuller Victor's Atlantis Arisen (1891).
Construction workers using the old suspension bridge to support the arch of the new bridge while under construction. Credit:Popular Science, November 1922 Oregon City Bridge Under Construction.JPG
Construction workers using the old suspension bridge to support the arch of the new bridge while under construction.
Credit: Popular Science , November 1922

The bridge was built to replace a pedestrian cable-suspension bridge completed in 1888. This existing bridge was utilized continuously during the construction process of the replacement, not only as access to the site for men and materials –assembling the box steel frames and pouring the reinforced concrete from its walkway –but also as the main support system during the completion of the arch itself. [4] Construction was made difficult by the engineering challenges posed by the great depth of the river at the site and worse from the need to manage and accommodate the frequent and ever increasing water traffic on its surface. [5] The completed bridge was opened to the public on December 28, 1922, with the cost of construction reported as $300,000. [6]

The piers were designed to accommodate public restrooms. The deck widens at the piers to provide room for the stairways – one on each side of the deck – that once descended to the restrooms. Repeated vandalism led to the closure of the restrooms in 1937, and the stairway entrances were covered over with concrete. Windows for "observation balconies" that were originally included in the piers, at the tops on both sides, were also sealed in concrete after closure. [2] The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places (as the Willamette River (Oregon City) Bridge (No. 357)) on July 1, 2005. [1] [7]

In March 2009, ODOT imposed new weight limits for vehicles crossing the bridge, after inspections revealed damage to some of the structure's floor beams. Large commercial vehicles, or any vehicle weighing more than 14 tons, were banned from using the bridge. [8] Among other impacts, the restriction meant the rerouting of all TriMet buses. The two routes using the bridge at that time, 35-Macadam and 154-Willamette, were rerouted across the Abernethy Bridge (I-205 bridge). [8] [9]

In 2010–2012, the Oregon City Bridge was given an extensive rehabilitation, overseen by ODOT. Work began in July 2010, [10] and the bridge was temporarily closed to all traffic starting in January 2011. [11] [12] The bridge reopened on October 15, 2012, [13] with the $15 million restoration project nearly completed. The final items of work were completed in early 2013. [10] According to ODOT, one of the "intentions" of the project was to "restore [the bridge's] original load-carrying capacity", [14] which would permit TriMet buses to resume using the bridge. However, as of September 2013 TriMet service had not returned to the bridge, and it is unknown whether the transit agency is planning to restore the former routings, or whether ODOT actually has restored the old (higher) load limits.

Current use

As of 2000, the bridge carried 12,800 vehicles per day, which represents only a 40% growth in traffic since 1953, when a public debate was held about building a parallel bridge next to the existing bridge. While the Oregon City Bridge did not get twinned, the George Abernethy Bridge (I-205 Bridge) opened in 1970 and has since become the major route through the area. TriMet buses crossed the bridge until March 2009, when a new weight limit temporarily banned buses and heavy commercial vehicles from using the bridge. [9]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oregon City, Oregon</span> City in Oregon, United States

Oregon City is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon, United States, located on the Willamette River near the southern limits of the Portland metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 37,572. Established in 1829 by the Hudson's Bay Company, in 1844 it became the first U.S. city west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steel Bridge</span> Bridge in Portland, Oregon

The Steel Bridge is a through truss, double-deck vertical-lift bridge across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States, opened in 1912. Its lower deck carries railroad and bicycle/pedestrian traffic, while the upper deck carries road traffic, and light rail (MAX), making the bridge one of the most multimodal in the world. It is the only double-deck bridge with independent lifts in the world and the second oldest vertical-lift bridge in North America, after the nearby Hawthorne Bridge. The bridge links the Rose Quarter and Lloyd District in the east to Old Town Chinatown neighborhood in the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Johns Bridge</span> Bridge in Portland, Oregon

The St. Johns Bridge is a steel suspension bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States, between the Cathedral Park neighborhood in North Portland and the Linnton and Northwest Industrial neighborhoods in Northwest Portland. It carries the U.S. Route 30 Bypass. It is the only suspension bridge in the Willamette Valley and one of three public highway suspension bridges in Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawthorne Bridge</span> Bridge over the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon

The Hawthorne Bridge is a truss bridge with a vertical lift that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, joining Hawthorne Boulevard and Madison Street. It is the oldest vertical-lift bridge in operation in the United States and the oldest highway bridge in Portland. It is also the busiest bicycle and transit bridge in Oregon, with over 8,000 cyclists and 800 TriMet buses daily. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burnside Bridge</span> Bridge in Portland, Oregon

The Burnside Bridge is a 1926-built bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States, carrying Burnside Street. It is the second bridge at the same site to carry that name. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morrison Bridge</span> Bridge in Oregon, U.S.

The Morrison Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. Completed in 1958, it is the third bridge at approximately the same site to carry that name. It is one of the most heavily used bridges in Portland. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquam Bridge</span> Carries Interstate 5 traffic over the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon

The Marquam Bridge is a double-deck, steel-truss cantilever bridge that carries Interstate 5 traffic across the Willamette River from south of downtown Portland, Oregon, on the west side to the industrial area of inner Southeast on the east. It is the busiest bridge in Oregon, carrying 140,500 vehicles a day as of 2016. The upper deck carries northbound traffic; the lower deck carries southbound traffic. The Marquam also has on and off ramps for Interstate 405 on the south end of the bridge, while the terminus on the east bank of the river is near the interchange with Interstate 84.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadway Bridge (Portland, Oregon)</span> Bridge in Portland, Oregon

The Broadway Bridge is a Rall-type bascule bridge spanning the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States, built in 1913. It was Portland's first bascule bridge, and it continues to hold the distinction of being the longest span of its bascule design type in the world. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate Bridge</span> Highway bridge crossing the Columbia River between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington

The Interstate Bridge is a pair of nearly identical steel vertical-lift, "Parker type" through-truss bridges that carry Interstate 5 traffic over the Columbia River between Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sellwood Bridge</span> Bridge in Portland, OR

The Sellwood Bridge is a deck arch bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. The current bridge opened in 2016 and replaced a 1925 span that had carried the same name. The original bridge was Portland's first fixed-span bridge and, being the only river crossing for miles in each direction, the busiest two-lane bridge in Oregon. The Sellwood Bridge links the Sellwood and Westmoreland neighborhoods of Portland on the east side with Oregon Route 43/Macadam Avenue on the west side. At its east end it leads to Tacoma Street. The bridge is owned and operated by Multnomah County. The original span of 1925 was a steel truss bridge, while its 2016 replacement is a deck-arch-type bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abernethy Bridge</span> Bridge in Oregon City, Oregon

The George Abernethy Bridge, or simply Abernethy Bridge, is a steel plate and box girder bridge that spans the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon, United States, and which carries Interstate 205. It is also known as the Oregon City Freeway Bridge and the I-205 Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willamette Falls</span> Waterfall on the Willamette River in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States

The Willamette Falls is a natural waterfall on the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn, Oregon, in the United States. It is the largest waterfall in the Northwestern United States by volume, and the seventeenth widest in the world. Horseshoe in shape, it is 1,500 feet (460 m) wide and 40 feet (12 m) high with a flow of 30,849 cu ft/s, located 26 miles (42 km) upriver from the Willamette's mouth. Willamette Falls is a culturally significant site for many tribal communities in the region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yaquina Bay Bridge</span> Bridge in Newport, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Creek Bridge (Oregon)</span> United States historic place

The Big Creek Bridge is a bowstring arch bridge that spans the Big Creek on U.S. Route 101 in Lane County, Oregon. It was designed by Conde McCullough and opened in 1931.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 205 (Oregon–Washington)</span> Interstate Highway in Oregon and Washington

Interstate 205 (I-205) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway in the Portland metropolitan area of Oregon and Washington, United States. The north–south freeway serves as a bypass route of I-5 along the east side of Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. It intersects several major highways and serves Portland International Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oregon Route 43</span> Highway in Oregon

Oregon Route 43 is an Oregon state highway that runs between the cities of Oregon City and Portland, mostly along the western flank of the Willamette River. While it is technically known by the Oregon Department of Transportation as the Oswego Highway No. 3, on maps it is referred to by its route number or by the various street names it has been given.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 5 in Oregon</span> Interstate highway in Oregon

Interstate 5 (I-5) in the U.S. state of Oregon is a major Interstate Highway that traverses the state from north to south. It travels to the west of the Cascade Mountains, connecting Portland to Salem, Eugene, Medford, and other major cities in the Willamette Valley and across the northern Siskiyou Mountains. The highway runs 308 miles (496 km) from the California state line near Ashland to the Washington state line in northern Portland, forming the central part of Interstate 5's route between Mexico and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Umatilla Bridge</span> Bridge in Washington – Umatilla County, Oregon

The Umatilla Bridge is the collective name for a pair of bridges in the northwest United States, carrying Interstate 82/U.S. Route 395 (I-82/US 395) across the Columbia River at the Washington–Oregon border. The older bridge opened in July 1955 and is a steel through truss cantilever bridge and carries southbound traffic. Northbound traffic and pedestrians travel on the newer concrete arch bridge, opened in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tilikum Crossing</span> Bridge over the Willamette River, Portland, OR, USA

Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People is a cable-stayed bridge across the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was designed by TriMet, the Portland metropolitan area's regional transit authority, for its MAX Orange Line light rail passenger trains. The bridge also serves city buses and the Portland Streetcar, as well as bicycles, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles. Private cars and trucks are not permitted on the bridge. It is the first major bridge in the U.S. that was designed to allow access to transit vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians but not cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Buren Street Bridge</span> Bridge in Corvallis, Oregon

The Van Buren Street Bridge is a swing span, steel motor vehicle bridge spanning the Willamette River at Corvallis in the U.S. state of Oregon. Opened in 1913, the black colored bridge was the first bridge across the river at Corvallis and is now the third oldest bridge across the river. Owned by the state and maintained by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), the 708-foot (216 m) long span is of a through truss design and carries one lane of traffic of Oregon Route 34 eastbound from Corvallis into neighboring Linn County. The bridge no longer is able to swing open.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "National Register of Historic Places: Weekly list of actions taken on properties: 7/25/05 through 7/29/05". National Park Service. August 5, 2005. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  2. 1 2 James A. McNett (June 4, 2004). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Willamette River (Oregon City) Bridge (No. 357)". National Park Service. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
  3. ↑ Smith, Dwight A.; Norman, James B.; Dykman, Pieter T. (1989). Historic Highway Bridges of Oregon. Oregon Historical Society Press. p. 96. ISBN   0-87595-205-4.
  4. ↑ Hadlow, Robert W. (2001). Elegant Arches, Soaring Spans: C.B. McCullough, Oregon's Master Bridge Builder. Oregon State University Press. pp. 51–53. ISBN   0-87071-534-8.
  5. ↑ "Old Bridge, Doomed, Helps to Build Successor". Popular Science Monthly. November 1922. p. 39.
  6. ↑ Wood, Sharon (2001). The Portland Bridge Book. Oregon Historical Society. ISBN   0-87595-211-9.
  7. ↑ "Oregon National Register List" (PDF). Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. June 6, 2011. p. 4. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  8. 1 2 "Traffic Advisory: New Restrictions on Oregon City Arch Bridge" (PDF). Oregon Department of Transportation. March 2, 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  9. 1 2 Roberts, Anthony (March 3, 2009). "Damaged beams force weight limits on historic OC bridge". Portland Tribune . Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  10. 1 2 "OR 43: Oregon City–West Linn Arch Bridge Rehabilitation Project". Oregon Department of Transportation. January 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  11. ↑ Mayes, Steve (January 7, 2011). "Historic Oregon City-West Linn bridge closes Jan. 15 for 2-year upgrade". The Oregonian . Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  12. ↑ "OR 43: Oregon City–West Linn Arch Bridge Rehabilitation Project". Oregon Department of Transportation. July 2012. Archived from the original on August 21, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  13. ↑ Hottman, Sara (October 14, 2012). "Long-awaited Arch Bridge re-opening marked with three-day festival, vow renewal". The Oregonian . Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  14. ↑ "Media Advisory: Ceremonial re-opening Sunday of the Arch Bridge" (PDF). ODOT. p. 2. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.