Fremont Bridge (Portland)

Infobox Bridge
bridge_name=Fremont Bridge

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caption=
official_name=Fremont Bridge
carries=Interstate 405 and U.S. Route 30
crosses=Willamette River and surface streets
locale=Portland, Oregon
maint=ODOT
id=02529
design=Tied arch bridge
mainspan=1,255 ft (382.5 m)
longest in Oregon
length=2,154 ft (656.5 m)
width=
height=
load=
clearance=18.3 ft (5.58 m)
below=175 ft (53.3 m)
traffic=
begin=
complete=
open=November 11, 1973
closed=
toll=
map_cue=
map_

map_text=
map_width=
coordinates= coord|45|32|17.21|N|122|40|58.25|W|type:landmark|display=inline
lat=45.5377083
long=-122.6825027

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).cite book | last= Wood | first= Sharon | coauthors = Wortman, Ed | title = The Portland Bridge Book (3rd Edition) | publisher = Urban Adventure Press | date = 2006 | pages = 23-30 | id= ISBN 0-9787365-1-6 ]

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.

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 [http://www.portlandonline.com/auditor/index.cfm?&a=ceici&c=27928 assembled] at Swan Island, 1.7 miles downstream. 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. [cite book | first = Dwight A. | last= Smith| title = Historic Highway Bridges of Oregon | publisher = Oregon Historical Society Press | date = 1989 | pages = 300 | id = ISBN 0-87595-205-4 ] 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.“News Q&A”, "The Oregonian", May 1 2005.] The 15 feet by 25 feet flags are attached to 50 foot tall flagpoles at the crest of the arches.

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. [cite web | publisher = Audubon Society of Portland | title = Fremont Bridge Peregrines: A Decade of Successful Nesting |url = http://www.audubonportland.org/livingwithwildlife/peregrines/FremontFalcons | accessdate = 2006-11-06 ]

Gallery

ee also

* List of crossings of the Willamette River

References

External links

* [http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?hh:1:./temp/~ammem_3FJw::@@@mdb=mcc,gottscho,detr,nfor,wpa,aap,cwar,bbpix,cowellbib,calbkbib,consrvbib,bdsbib,dag,fsaall,gmd,pan,vv,presp,varstg,suffrg,nawbib,horyd,wtc,toddbib,mgw,ncr,ngp,musdibib,hlaw,papr,lhbumbib,rbpebib,lbcoll,alad,hh,aaodyssey,magbell,bbcards,dcm,raelbib,runyon,dukesm,lomaxbib,mtj,gottlieb,aep,qlt,coolbib,fpnas,aasm,scsm,denn,relpet,amss,aaeo,mffbib,afc911bib,mjm,mnwp,rbcmillerbib,molden,ww2map,mfdipbib,afcnyebib,klpmap,hawp,omhbib,rbaapcbib,mal,ncpsbib,ncpm,lhbprbib,ftvbib,afcreed,aipn,cwband,flwpabib,wpapos,cmns,psbib,pin,coplandbib,cola,tccc,curt,mharendt,lhbcbbib,eaa,haybib,mesnbib,fine,cwnyhs,svybib,mmorse,afcwwgbib,mymhiwebib,uncall,afcwip,mtaft,manz,llstbib,fawbib,berl,fmuever,cdn,upboverbib,mussm,cic,afcpearl,awh,awhbib,sgp,wright,lhbtnbib,afcesnbib,hurstonbib,mreynoldsbib,spaldingbib,sgproto Historic American Engineering Record (Library of Congress)] Fremont Bridge, Spanning Willamette River, Portland, Multnomah County, OR
*

Crossings navbox
structure = Crossings
place = Willamette River
bridge = Fremont Bridge
bridge signs =
upstream = Broadway Bridge
upstream signs =
downstream = Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge 5.1
downstream signs = "BNSF Railway"