1966 US-101 Astoria-Megler Bridge over Columbia River at Astoria, OR

(Bridge Hunter broke on Mar 22, 2023; Historic Bridges; Satellite, 1,213 photos)

Street View, Oct 2018

HistoricBridges explains why this is a continuous truss bridge instead of a cantilever truss.

"The bridge's main span is 1,232 feet in length, the longest 'continuous truss' in the nation." This was the last gap in the coastal highway from Mexico to Candada. [TravelAstoria]

When completed, it was the longest continuous-truss bridge in the world. Building the bridge was controversial. Critics called it the "bridge to nowhere." But when it opened, the critics shut up because the volume of traffic that it carried exceeded expectations. [britannia]

Street View

The bridge is so long that you can hardly see the other end. They have these trusses on the Washington (northern) end so that smaller boats don't have to cross the river to go under the bridge.

Street View, Aug 2018

This is a good view of the concrete causeway that makes up most of the length. It also shows why I read some comments complaining about the steep grade when crossing from Washington.

34th of 51 photos in OregonLive
The lower Columbia River is filled in 1980 with gillnet boats to reap as many salmon as possible in one-day season. Fleet ranged from Tongue Point to Jetty A off Ilwaco, with one favored spot being along the Astoria Bridge on the Washington side. (Oregonian File Photo)
1980 Press Photo Boats along Columbia River fishing for salmon

Highway Engineering Discoveries posted
bridge (Megler) in Oregon.
Dean Moran: Astoria is in Oregon, this is the Oregon side.
Megler is the Washington side.
Michael L. Dawkins: Astoria bridge is one of many that were built by Conde B.McCullough, state bridge Engineer. Notice the beautiful architecture in his bridges.

It appears the Columbia River is a busy shipping lane.

Street View

LC-DIG-highsm-50642, West Virginia Collection within the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
"Sunset beyond the Astoria-Megler Bridge, a steel cantilever through truss bridge that spans the mouth of the Columbia River, between Astoria, Oregon, and Point Ellice, near Megler, Washington. Opened in 1966, it is (as of 2018) the longest continuous truss bridge in North America."
[More of Carol's photos in this area]

 

Highway Engineering Discoveries posted
The Astoria Bridge..
Mark Irick: On what were you standing on to take this shot?
Expressway Explorers posted
The majestic Astoria Bridge, whose grass-green beams span 4.1 miles across the mouth of the Columbia River. See More: nickeyscircle.com/incredible-bridges/

Dennis DeBruler commented on Mark's comment
The road makes a sharp turn because the river has a tall bluff. https://goo.gl/maps/E71SaHPMdFKXdSyz8

ThatOregonLife, photo by Victor Solanoy (Flickr)
"At 4.1 miles..., the pale green structure is the longest continuous truss bridge in North America. In fact, even being from Oregon I did not realize how far this massive construction stretched until doing more research." It replaced a ferry that could take up to an hour to make the crossing. It stands against winds up to 150mph and a river current of 9mph during floods.

 

Martin Halliwell posted

The Astoria-Megler Bridge.

Oregon in the foreground Washington in the background.

 

Martin Halliwell posted

Astoria-Megler Bridge.

Astoria, Oregon

Sara's Old Photos posted
We've crossed the Astoria-Megler bridge several times in the last week, and I marvel at the engineering and builders that allowed this to be! This photo from 1965 shows the last section being placed. It was assembled in Portland, barged down and then set during high tide. Rivets and metal had only 1/4" error base, and the men on the barge and tugs and on the bridge had to coordinate all sorts of possibilities.
Don Cramer: The Bridge was built by DeLong Corp. It was the jack up barges owned by Mr DeLong that were the key to it's construction. For a man with only a 6th. grade education, He did very well.

Arten Easty commented on Sara's post
Got to watch it from start to finish..

4th of 51 photos in OregonLive
A ship passes by the Astoria-Megler Bridge under construction in 1965. (Photo courtesy of the Clatsop County Historical Society)

19th of 51 photos in OregonLive
Crews work on the construction of the Astoria-Megler Bridge. (Photo courtesy of the Clatsop County Historical Society)

21st of 51 photos in OregonLive
Crews work on the construction of the Astoria-Megler Bridge. (Photo courtesy of the Clatsop County Historical Society)

35th of 51 photos in OregonLive
The M. R. Chessman, the biggest of the three ferries at Astoria, was taken out of service at the 1966 opening of the Astoria-Megler Bridge, photographed here on her second to last run, loaded with passenger cars, tourists and ferry devotees. (Oregonian File Photo)
1966 Press Photo Ferry-Oregon-M. R. Chessman