Depoe Bay Bridge - 1926 - Depoe Bay, Oregon
Posted by: Volcanoguy
N 44° 48.544 W 124° 03.697
10T E 416050 N 4962288
The historic Depoe Bay Bridge is located on U.S. Hwy. 101 in Depoe Bay.
Waymark Code: WMHH3X
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 07/10/2013
Views: 7
This Bridge Date Plaque is located on the concrete rail at the southeast corner of the bridge. There is a second plaque at the northwest corner of the bridge. These plaques list two dates, original construction beginning in 1926 and expansion in 1940.
The Depoe Bay Bridge spans the mouth of Depoe Bay on the original Oregon Coast Highway No. 9 (now US 101). The bridge was designed by Conde B. McCullough, the Oregon state bridge engineer from 1919 to 1936 who also designed many of the other historic bridges along the Oregon Coast.
As originally completed in 1927 the bridge had a total length of 294 feet and was made up of a 150 foot reinforced-concrete ribbed parabolic deck arch flanked by one 21-foot reinforced deck girder approach span to the north and three 41-foot reinforced deck girder approach spans to the south. The bridge roadway had a 18-foot curb-to-curb width with two travel lanes and no sidewalks. The bridge was completed on June 10, 1927 at a cost of $55,000.
The bridge became a popular spot for sightseers to congregate to watch fishing boats enter the inlet to Depoe Bay. This created a traffic hazard and in 1940 the bridge was widened by adding a compatible structure immediately to the west of the 1927 span. The new span had a total length of 312 feet and was made up of a 150 foot reinforced-concrete ribbed parabolic deck arch flanked by one 29-foot reinforced deck girder approach span to the north and three 40-foot and one 13-foot reinforced deck girder approach spans to the south. The decks of the two bridges were joined to create a 48-foot roadway with two 5-foot sidewalks. In addition, a concrete stairway and walkways under the combined structure were added at the north end for pedestrian access across the highway. The widening of the bridge was completed on November 15, 1940 at a cost of just over $60,0000.
In 1966, the Oregon Department of Transportation completed a three-year long, $4,400,000 bridge restoration and cathodic protection project on the bridge.
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