Lewis and Clark Bridge
Coordinates46°06′17″N 122°57′42″W / 46.1047°N 122.9618°W / 46.1047; -122.9618
Carries SR 433[1]
CrossesColumbia River
LocaleLongview, Washington, to
Rainier, Oregon
Maintained byWashington State Department of Transportation[2]
Characteristics
DesignCantilever through truss
Total length2,722 feet (830 m)[1]
Longest span1,200 feet (370 m)[1]
History
DesignerJoseph Strauss
OpenedMarch 29, 1930
Longview Bridge
Lewis and Clark Bridge (Columbia River) is located in Washington (state)
Lewis and Clark Bridge (Columbia River)
Lewis and Clark Bridge (Columbia River) is located in Oregon
Lewis and Clark Bridge (Columbia River)
Lewis and Clark Bridge (Columbia River) is located in the United States
Lewis and Clark Bridge (Columbia River)
LocationSpans Columbia River, Longview, Washington
Coordinates46°6′16.8″N 122°57′42.6″W / 46.104667°N 122.961833°W / 46.104667; -122.961833
Area7.2 acres (2.9 ha)
Built1929–30
Built byJ. H. Pomeroy & Co.
ArchitectStrauss Engineering Corp.
Architectural stylecantilever bridge
MPSHistoric Bridges/Tunnels in Washington State TR
NRHP reference No.82004208[3]
Added to NRHPJuly 16, 1982
Location

The Lewis and Clark Bridge is a cantilever bridge that spans the Columbia River between Longview, Washington, and Rainier, Oregon. At the time of its completion, it had the longest cantilever span in the United States.[1]

construction of the bridge, 1930
The construction of the bridge, 1930

The bridge was opened on March 29, 1930, as a privately owned bridge named the Longview Bridge. The $5.8 million cost (equivalent to $81 million in 2022 dollars) was recovered by tolls, $1.00 for cars and $0.10 for pedestrians (equivalent to $14.01 for cars and $1.4 for pedestrians in 2022 dollars). 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 2,722 ft (830 m)[1] 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, the engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge.

In 1982, the bridge was entered on the National Register of Historic Places, as the Longview Bridge.[4] A feasibility study commissioned by the Washington State Legislature in 1990 recommended the construction of a second bridge to handle future traffic volume.[5] The Lewis and Clark Bridge was closed for four days in July 2023 to replace a floor beam and install new finger joints; during the closure, which was originally scheduled for eight days, the Wahkiakum County Ferry was used as a detour route for prioritized traffic.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Jackson, Donald C. (1988). Great American Bridges and Dams. Wiley. p. 313. ISBN 0-471-14385-5.
  2. ↑ "Asset Management: Bridge Assessment Annual Report" (PDF). The Gray Notebook. Washington State Department of Transportation (34): 19. August 20, 2009. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
  3. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  4. ↑ "Washington - Cowlitz County". nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com (non-government site). Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  5. ↑ Lopez, Cindy (June 20, 1991). "State study: Second Longview-Rainier bridge needed". The Daily News. p. A1. Retrieved October 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ Kauffman, Brennen (July 20, 2023). "Lewis and Clark Bridge reopens 5 p.m. Thursday as repairs finish early". The Daily News. Retrieved August 1, 2023.

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