Fremont Bridge (Portland)
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| Fremont Bridge | |
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| Official name | Fremont Bridge |
| Carries | Interstate 405 and U.S. Route 30 |
| Crosses | Willamette River and surface streets |
| Locale | Portland, Oregon |
| Maintained by | ODOT |
| ID number | 02529 |
| Design | Tied arch bridge |
| Longest span | 1,255 ft (382.5 m) longest in Oregon |
| Total length | 2,154 ft (656.5 m) |
| Vertical clearance | 18.3 ft (5.58 m) |
| Clearance below | 175 ft (53.3 m) |
| Opening date | November 11, 1973 |
| Coordinates | |
| Maps and aerial photos | |
The Fremont Bridge is a steel tied arch bridge over the Willamette River located in Portland, Oregon. It carries Interstate 405 and US 30 traffic between downtown and North Portland where it intersects with I-5. It has the longest main span of any bridge in Oregon and is the second longest tied arch bridge in the world (after Caiyuanba Bridge across the Yangtze River, China).[1]
The bridge was named for John Charles Frémont, though one of the connecting streets was previously named Fremont Street in honor of the same individual.
The bridge has two decks carrying vehicular traffic, each with four lanes. The upper deck is signed westbound on US 30 and southbound on I-405. The lower deck is signed eastbound on US 30 and northbound on I-405.
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[edit] Design and construction
Due to the public's dissatisfaction with the appearance of the Marquam Bridge, the Portland Art Commission was invited to participate in the design process of the Fremont. The improvement in visual quality resulted in a bridge that was nearly six times as expensive as the purposely-economical Marquam Bridge. Designers modeled the bridge after the Port Mann Bridge in Vancouver, British Columbia.
In October of 1971, while still under construction, a crack was found on the west span girder that required a $5.5 million redesign and repair. The main span of the bridge was built in California then assembled at Swan Island, 1.7 miles downstream.[1] After completion it was floated into place on a barge.
On March 16, 1973 the 6,000 ton steel arch span was lifted 170 ft. (51.8 m) using 32 hydraulic jacks. At the time, it was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the heaviest lift ever completed.[2] The bridge was open on November 11, 1973 at a final cost of $82 million, most of which was financed by the Federal Highway Administration.
In 1976, an American flag and an Oregon flag were added atop the structure as part of the bicentennial celebration for the United States.[3] The 15 feet by 25 feet flags are attached to 50 foot tall flagpoles at the crest of the arches.[3]
[edit] Falcon nest
The Fremont Bridge was also the 26th Peregrine falcon nest site designated in Oregon after the raptor was placed on the U.S. Threatened and Endangered Species list in 1970.[4]
[edit] Gallery
 Fremont Bridge and the skyline of Portland circa 1988 |
 From the east end |
 Bridge Pedal on the top deck of the Fremont Bridge |
 An Amtrak train passing beneath the Fremont Bridge |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Wood, Sharon; Wortman, Ed (2006). The Portland Bridge Book (3rd Edition). Urban Adventure Press, 23-30. ISBN 0-9787365-1-6.
- ^ Smith, Dwight A. (1989). Historic Highway Bridges of Oregon. Oregon Historical Society Press, 300. ISBN 0-87595-205-4.
- ^ a b “News Q&A”, The Oregonian, May 1, 2005.
- ^ Fremont Bridge Peregrines: A Decade of Successful Nesting. Audubon Society of Portland. Retrieved on 2006-11-06.
[edit] External links
- Historic American Engineering Record (Library of Congress) Fremont Bridge, Spanning Willamette River, Portland, Multnomah County, OR
- Fremont Bridge in the Structurae database
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