Lewis and Clark Bridge (Columbia River)
The Lewis and Clark Bridge is a cantilever bridge that spans the Columbia River between Longview, Washington and Rainier, Oregon. At the time of completion, it had the longest cantilever span in the United States.[1]
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Lewis and Clark Bridge | |
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Coordinates | 46°06′17″N 122°57′42″W |
Carries | ![]() |
Crosses | Columbia River |
Locale | Longview, Washington to Rainier, Oregon |
Maintained by | Washington State DOT |
Characteristics | |
Design | Cantilever through-truss |
Total length | 2,722 feet (830 m)[1] |
Longest span | 1,200 ft (366 m)[1] |
History | |
Designer | Joseph Strauss |
Opened | March 29, 1930 |
Longview Bridge | |
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Location | Spans Columbia River, Longview, Washington |
Coordinates | 46°6′16.8″N 122°57′42.6″W |
Area | 7.2 acres (2.9 ha) |
Built | 1929–30 |
Built by | J.H. Pomeroy & Co. |
Architect | Strauss Engineering Corp. |
Architectural style | cantilever bridge |
MPS | Historic Bridges/Tunnels in Washington State TR |
NRHP reference No. | 82004208[2] |
Added to NRHP | July 16, 1982 |
Location | |
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The bridge was opened on March 29, 1930, as a privately owned bridge named the Longview Bridge. The $5.8 million cost was recovered by tolls, $1.00 for cars and $.10 for pedestrians. At the time it was the longest and highest cantilever bridge in the United States. The state of Washington purchased the bridge in 1947 and the tolls were removed in 1965 after the bridge was paid for. In 1980, the bridge was rededicated as the Lewis and Clark Bridge in honor of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The deck was replaced in 2003–04 at a cost of $29.2 million.
The bridge is 8,288 ft (2.5 km) long with 210 ft (64 m) of vertical clearance. The main span is 1,200 ft (366 m) long and the top of the bridge is 340 ft (104 m) above the river. It was designed by Joseph Strauss, engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge.
In 1982, the bridge was entered on the National Register of Historic Places, as the Longview Bridge.[3]
See also
References
- Jackson, Donald C. (1988). Great American Bridges and Dams. Wiley. p. 313. ISBN 0-471-14385-5.
- "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- Washington - Cowlitz County at nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com (non-government site). Retrieved June 8, 2013.
External links
Media related to Lewis and Clark Bridge at Wikimedia Commons
- Bridge chronology – The Columbia County Historian
- Bridge story on HistoryLink.org
- Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) No. OR-127, "Lewis & Clark Bridge, Spanning Lewis & Clark River at Milepoint 4.78, on Warrenton Highway (Highway No. 9), Astoria, Clatsop County, OR", 16 photos, 6 data pages, 2 photo caption pages
- Lewis and Clark Bridge at Structurae