John O'Connell Bridge
The John O'Connell Bridge over the Sitka Channel
Coordinates57°02′52″N 135°20′26″W / 57.047899°N 135.340627°W / 57.047899; -135.340627
Carries2 lanes of AK-935
CrossesSitka Channel
LocaleSitka, Alaska
Characteristics
DesignCable-stayed bridge
MaterialSteel (pylons)[1]
composite steel-reinforced concrete (deck)[1]
Total length1,255 feet (383 m)
Width38 feet (11.6 m)
Longest span450 feet (137 m)
Clearance below52 feet (15.8 m)
History
Construction end1971[1]
Opened1972
Statistics
Daily traffic4,900 (2008)
Location

The John O'Connell Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge over the Sitka Channel located in Sitka, Alaska. The bridge connects the town of Sitka on Baranof Island to the airport and Coast Guard Station on Japonski Island. Until the bridge was completed in 1971, the commute was only achievable through a ferry service. The bridge is named after John W. O'Connell, a former mayor of Sitka.[2] The two-lane bridge is 1,255 feet (383 m) in total length, with a main span of 450 feet (140 m).[3] The bridge was also the United States' first vehicular cable-stayed girder spanned bridge.[4] The four 100-foot-high (30 m) steel pylons carry two three-cable sets, each carrying a section of the bridge deck.[5][6] Special consideration was given to the bridge's aesthetics due to its proximity to nearby Castle Hill.[2]

Approximately 4000 vehicles cross the bridge every day,[2] up from the approximate 1000 shore boat passengers per day prior to the bridge's completion.[7]

A man from Bellingham, Washington, died in August 2015 after jumping off the bridge to swim ashore.[8]

The bridge was designated as an Alaska Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2022.[9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 O'Connell Bridge at Structurae
  2. 1 2 3 Haugland, Shannon (9 September 2022), "Sitkans to Celebrate Bridge's 50th Year", Daily Sitka Sentinel, p. 1
  3. ↑ 2019 Bridge & Tunnel Inventory Report (PDF) (Report). Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities, Bridge Section.
  4. ↑ Hoagland, Kim (1993). "O'Connell Bridge". Historic American Engineering Record. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Where Did the Russians Settle in Alaska?". Archived from the original on 2010-08-20. Retrieved 2010-05-28.
  6. ↑ "O'Connell Bridge, Sitka, Alaska". www.johnweeks.com.
  7. ↑ "Sitka Yesterday", Daily Sitka Sentinel, p. 2, 2 September 2022
  8. ↑ "Bellingham man dies after jump from Alaska bridge". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. 2015-08-24. Retrieved 2020-09-12.
  9. ↑ Unterreiner, Aaron (1 November 2022). "ASCE Alaska Section Historic Civil Engineering Landmark Designation". Civil + Structural Engineer. Retrieved 2022-11-05.


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