Conde McCullough Memorial Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Conde B. McCullough Memorial Bridge, formerly the Coos Bay Bridge, is a cantilever bridge
that spans Coos Bay
on U.S. Route 101 near North Bend, Oregon
.
When the bridge was completed in 1936 it was the longest bridge in Oregon. It was dedicated to the designer, Conde McCullough
, in 1947. Because of the long distances and heavily trafficked shipping channel, a cantilever construction was deemed necessary.
The 793 ft (242 m) main span has 150 ft (46 m) of vertical clearance and is part of a 1708 ft (521 m) long steel cantilever span. The rest of the bridge is composed of concrete arches more typical of McCullough's designs. The total cost of the bridge was $2,143,400.
Today, the bridge is the official symbol of the City of North Bend, Oregon.
Cantilever bridge
A cantilever bridge is a bridge built using cantilevers, structures that project horizontally into space, supported on only one end. For small footbridges, the cantilevers may be simple beams; however, large cantilever bridges designed to handle road or rail traffic use trusses built from...
that spans Coos Bay
Coos Bay
Coos Bay is an S-shaped inlet where the Coos River enters the Pacific Ocean, approximately 10 miles long and two miles wide, on the Pacific Ocean coast of southwestern Oregon in the United States. The estuary is situated south of the Salmon River. The city of Coos Bay, once named Marshfield, was...
on U.S. Route 101 near North Bend, Oregon
North Bend, Oregon
North Bend is a city in Coos County, Oregon, in the United States with a population of 9,695 as of the 2010 census. North Bend is surrounded on three sides by Coos Bay, an S-shaped water inlet and estuary where the Coos River enters Coos Bay on the Pacific Ocean, and borders the city of Coos Bay,...
.
When the bridge was completed in 1936 it was the longest bridge in Oregon. It was dedicated to the designer, Conde McCullough
Conde McCullough
Conde Balcom McCullough was a U.S. bridge engineer who is primarily known for designing many of Oregon's coastal bridges on U.S. Route 101. The native of South Dakota worked for the Oregon Department of Transportation from 1919 to 1935 and 1937 until 1946...
, in 1947. Because of the long distances and heavily trafficked shipping channel, a cantilever construction was deemed necessary.
The 793 ft (242 m) main span has 150 ft (46 m) of vertical clearance and is part of a 1708 ft (521 m) long steel cantilever span. The rest of the bridge is composed of concrete arches more typical of McCullough's designs. The total cost of the bridge was $2,143,400.
Today, the bridge is the official symbol of the City of North Bend, Oregon.