Umatilla Bridge

Umatilla Bridge
The older bridge is visible in the foreground
Coordinates	45°55′36″N 119°19′34″W
Carries	I-82 / US 395
Crosses	Columbia River
Locale	Benton County, Washington – Umatilla County, Oregon
Official name	Interstate 82 Columbia River Bridge
Characteristics
Design	Through truss cantilever bridge (old) Arch bridge (new)
Material	Steel (old) Concrete (new)
Total length	3,308 ft (1,008.3 m) (old) 3,433 ft (1,046.4 m) (new)
Width	27.58 ft (8.4 m) (old)
Longest span	600 ft (182.9 m) (old)
No. of spans	5 (old) 2 (new)
Clearance above	16 ft (4.9 m) (old)
Clearance below	85 ft (25.9 m) (old) 80 ft (24.4 m) (new)
History
Opened	1955 (old) 1988 (new)
Statistics
Daily traffic	8,150 (2004)
Location

The Umatilla Bridge is the collective name for a pair of bridges carrying Interstate 82/U.S. Route 395 across the Columbia River at the Washington State/Oregon border. The older bridge is a steel through truss cantilever bridge and only carries southbound traffic, with northbound traffic going on the newer bridge, a concrete arch bridge.

Construction

The old bridge was proposed by Umatilla County judge James H. Sturgis and known as "Sturgis' folly" initially. The construction upstream of McNary Dam would create Lake Wallula and submerge the old Wallula Highway. In the interim, traffic was carried across the newly formed lake via ferry service, with 178,576 vehicles transported in 1951. The bridge was financed by $10 million worth of bonds and operated as a toll bridge until 1974, when the bonds were fully repaid.

It is a five-span continuous Warren through truss design. The configuration of the span is unusual in the fact that it takes advantage of a submerged island near the middle of the Columbia River. With its two 600-foot spans, each constructed using the cantilever method, this is the only bridge in the state having two spans constructed using that method.

External links

• I-82 Columbia River Bridge at Structurae