Astoria Waterfront Bridge Replacements

This complex and high-profile project on the northern Oregon coast replaced six aging bridges in the span of two construction seasons for the City of Astoria. It was complicated by existing infrastructure, marine wildlife, lack of as-built plans, and more.

The bridges were designed to meet a 75-year design service life in a marine environment. They are Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant, multimodal transportation facilities supporting pedestrians, bicyclists, vehicles, and rail users. In addition, they are critical to support the vibrant waterfront economy of Astoria. The bridges provide the only access to the waterfront businesses, which are heavily dependent upon tourist patronage. For this reason, the design incorporated constructability considerations for accelerated and staged bridge construction to maintain access to all businesses.

The project also incorporated context-sensitive design features appropriate for the Astoria Downtown Historic District, including decorative lighting, roadway and pedestrian railings, and integral colored and board-formed textured concrete.

The end result: six new bridges that fit seamlessly into their built environment and serve as key links in Astoria’s rapidly revitalizing waterfront area.