1936+1992 Alsea Bay Bridge at Waldport, OR

1936: (HAER)

1992: (Archived Bridge Hunter didn't work; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

This  2910' (887m) long bridge has a main span of 450' (137m). [BridgeHunter]

Street View, Jul 2024

Bruce Yu, Aug 2022

Phil Block posted

Alsea Bay Bridge 

This isn’t the original bridge.  The first one was opened in 1936 and demolished in 1991 due to corrosion.  This time the deck was made of a latex concrete and thicker piers.  It has a 75–100-year life expectancy.

Since this bridge was on US-101 in Oregon, I was expecting to see a big concrete arch bridge designed by Conde McCullough. There was one, but tit had to be replaced.

20:25 video @ 0:45

This video explains why it was replaced.

@ 0:19

Look through the crane boom and see the large chunk of the old bridge flying towards the new bridge. The new bridge was damaged by shrapnel from the old bridge demolition, and they had to paint it again.

@ 14:48

Arch spans need a lot of falsework.

yachatsnews

The long part with girder spans is over a sandbar.

onlinepubs, p4

"Significance: The Alsea Bay Bridge was one of five large spans built along the Oregon Coast Highway between 1934 and 1936, of which C.B. McCullough oversaw the design and construction. The main spans of this 3,028-foot structure are three reinforced-concrete through tied arches. These arches are the largest of McCullough's reinforced-concrete tied arches in the state. Alsea Bay Bridge is the third largest of the five Oregon Coast Highway bridges. It is considered by some experts to rank among the finer examples of concrete bridges in America and may be the longest concrete span in North America. The bridge is significant for its impressive design and ornate detailing in the Art Deco style. Construction of a replacement bridge began in 1988, and was completed in 1991. The original structure was subsequently demolished." [HAER_data]